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Phuntsog Tsering lives a tough life, herding yaks at 5,000m in the Himalayas and is one of the last shepherds left in his village.

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The president is set to announce the move during a speech on Thursday evening.

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A militant Islamist insurgency in north-east Mozambique has forced half a million people to flee for fear of beheadings and abductions.

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A one-shot drone tour of a Minneapolis establishment has been celebrated for its production genius.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday arraigned Peter Hena, a former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, and eight other officers of the agency before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The others are Mohammed Bello Auta (Director of Finance), Amina Sidi (Finance and Account department), Umar Aliyu Aduka (Internal Audit), Mbura Mustapha (Deputy Manager), Obi Okeke Malachy (Services Group), Obaje Napoleon Adofu (Head of Budget), Udo-Inyang Effiong Alfred (Officer II) and Benjamin Jiya (Assistant Director).

According to a statement by the Head, Media & Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwajaren, they were arraigned on 42 counts bordering on corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N4,558,160,676.9 (Four billion, five hundred and fifty-eight million, one hundred and sixty thousand, six hundred and seventy-six naira, nine kobo)

Count one of the charge reads,  “That you, Peter Hena, Mohammed Bello Auta, Amina Sidi, Umar Aliyu Aduka, Mbura, Mustapha, Obi Okeke Malachy, Obaje Napoleon Adofu, Udo-Inyang Effiong Alfred and Benjamin Jiya, while being staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) between January, 2017 and December 2018 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired together with the other officials of FIRS to conceal funds which are proceeds of an unlawful activities to wit: Corruption, Fraud and Criminal Misappropriation of Funds and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18 and punishable under section 15(2) (a) and (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 ( as amended by Act No. 1 of 2021).”

The defendants however pleaded ‘not guilty’.

In view of their plea, prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, asked the court for a date to commence trial.

However, the defendants, through their counsel, prayed the court to grant them bail.

Justice Ojukwu granted them bail in the sum of N100 million each and sureties in like sum. The sureties who must be Nigerians residing in Abuja with landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, are also to provide evidence of tax clearance.

The judge also ruled that defendants are to deposit their travelling documents with the court and to seek the permission of the court before travelling out of the country.

The matter was adjourned till June 14, 15, 23, 24, 28, 29, 2021 for commencement of trial.

Corruption News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday arraigned Peter Hena, a former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, and eight other officers of the agency before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The others are Mohammed Bello Auta (Director of Finance), Amina Sidi (Finance and Account department), Umar Aliyu Aduka (Internal Audit), Mbura Mustapha (Deputy Manager), Obi Okeke Malachy (Services Group), Obaje Napoleon Adofu (Head of Budget), Udo-Inyang Effiong Alfred (Officer II) and Benjamin Jiya (Assistant Director).

According to a statement by the Head, Media & Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwajaren, they were arraigned on 42 counts bordering on corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N4,558,160,676.9 (Four billion, five hundred and fifty-eight million, one hundred and sixty thousand, six hundred and seventy-six naira, nine kobo)

Count one of the charge reads,  “That you, Peter Hena, Mohammed Bello Auta, Amina Sidi, Umar Aliyu Aduka, Mbura, Mustapha, Obi Okeke Malachy, Obaje Napoleon Adofu, Udo-Inyang Effiong Alfred and Benjamin Jiya, while being staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) between January, 2017 and December 2018 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired together with the other officials of FIRS to conceal funds which are proceeds of an unlawful activities to wit: Corruption, Fraud and Criminal Misappropriation of Funds and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18 and punishable under section 15(2) (a) and (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 ( as amended by Act No. 1 of 2021).”

The defendants however pleaded ‘not guilty’.

In view of their plea, prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, asked the court for a date to commence trial.

However, the defendants, through their counsel, prayed the court to grant them bail.

Justice Ojukwu granted them bail in the sum of N100 million each and sureties in like sum. The sureties who must be Nigerians residing in Abuja with landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, are also to provide evidence of tax clearance.

The judge also ruled that defendants are to deposit their travelling documents with the court and to seek the permission of the court before travelling out of the country.

The matter was adjourned till June 14, 15, 23, 24, 28, 29, 2021 for commencement of trial.

Corruption News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested a man, Collins Samuel, who fraudulently obtained $8,000 (N3 million) COVID-19 benefit from the State of Virginia, United States.

The suspect, who has been remanded in EFCC custody, was reportedly arrested in Jos, Plateau State where he fraudulently represented himself as Ashley Cooper, an American citizen affected by COVID–19 in Nigeria.

It was alleged that he obtained $8,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) from Virginia, United States and reportedly redeemed the $8,000 benefit through bitcoin wallet addresses he got from various cryptocurrency traders.

Samuel, who was arraigned before Justice Mallong of the Federal High Court in Kaduna, pleaded ‘not guilty' to the one count bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretences.

Justice Mallong adjourned the case till March 22, for determination of bail application and trial.

Corruption News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested a man, Collins Samuel, who fraudulently obtained $8,000 (N3 million) COVID-19 benefit from the State of Virginia, United States.

The suspect, who has been remanded in EFCC custody, was reportedly arrested in Jos, Plateau State where he fraudulently represented himself as Ashley Cooper, an American citizen affected by COVID–19 in Nigeria.

It was alleged that he obtained $8,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) from Virginia, United States and reportedly redeemed the $8,000 benefit through bitcoin wallet addresses he got from various cryptocurrency traders.

Samuel, who was arraigned before Justice Mallong of the Federal High Court in Kaduna, pleaded ‘not guilty' to the one count bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretences.

Justice Mallong adjourned the case till March 22, for determination of bail application and trial.

Corruption News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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As Nigerians continue to demand the reduction in cost of governance by through the cutting of the allowances of political office holders, SaharaReporters takes a look at 10 things the jumbo pay of Nigerian federal lawmakers can fix in the country.

After the senators succeeded in keeping their pay and allowances away from Nigerians for years, a former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, in March 2018, mustered the courage to reveal the senators’ salary and allowances.

Nigerian Senate

Sani revealed in a statement that Nigerian Senators are earning N13.5million monthly as running cost. The lawmaker said the running cost was in addition to the over N750,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances of each member of the Senate.

He himself kicked against payment of the allowances, saying Senators ought to be paid only their salaries.

“I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month. Though no specific instruction on what the fund should be used for, lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running costs.

See Also Money Nigerian Senators Receive N13.5 Million 'Running Cost' Every Month - Shehu Sani 0 Comments 3 Years Ago

“The running cost is in addition to funds earmarked for each senator for constituency projects. But what I am saying is that money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without any accountability is N750,000.00. The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every Senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you. You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.

“Now, the corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because transparency groups have come into it.

“They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used. So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now. But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leaves senators and members of House of Reps with salaries,” Sani had said.

SaharaReporters details 10 areas the federal lawmakers’ jumbo pay could be reasonably expended to cut down the cost of governance.

It Can Pay Salaries Of 450 Workers 

One, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance for running cost can pay the N30,000 minimum wage of 450 Nigerian workers.

Only yesterday, the country had been thrown into a nationwide protest when the labour leaders raised their voices over a bill which seeks to remove the minimum wage negotiations from the exclusive legislative list.

Workers across 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory staged protests to register their opposition to the bill, which they claimed, was aimed at frustrating the minimum wage negotiations and bringing non-uniformity in workers’ earnings.

It Can Pay The Salaries Of 26 Professors

Two, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance can pay the salaries of 26 professors in Nigerian universities. A professor currently earns between N381,695 and N501,680 monthly in federal universities, going by the Federal Government Salary Scale Structure in universities.

It Can Pay N10, 000 Bursary For 1,350 Varsity Students 

Three, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance can go round 1,350 university students as N10,000 bursary each per semester or per session.

If the 106 senators’ allowances are summed up which makes N1.4 billion monthly, it will go round 143,100 students as bursaries – a move which if done by the Nigerian government will gladden the hearts of many parents and families.

A Senator's Salary Can Pay For 60 Doctors In Federal Teaching Hospitals 

Four, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance will pay the salaries of 60 doctors in Nigerian federal teaching hospitals and medical centres.

In a report done by Guardian in September 2020, of all 55 African countries, Nigerian doctors are among the least paid.

Doctors under federal government employment in Nigeria earn a gross monthly salary of between N195,000 and N220,000, while their colleagues in states earn between N150,000 and N240,000.

It Can Build A Block Of Six Classrooms 

Five, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance will erect and finish a block of six classrooms for a modern primary school in any average location across the country.

Six, the combined N13.5million allowances of the senators at N1.4 billion monthly can buy modern equipment in selected federal and state hospitals nationwide.

Others are that the senators’ jumbo allowances can fix the rural electrification of remote communities, the building of hospitals in communities where there are none; the provision of potable water in areas where there is water crisis and the empowerment of local farmers and farms to reap more produce for the food sufficiency of the country.

Politics News Reports AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/3qFMEcq

As Nigerians continue to demand the reduction in cost of governance by through the cutting of the allowances of political office holders, SaharaReporters takes a look at 10 things the jumbo pay of Nigerian federal lawmakers can fix in the country.

After the senators succeeded in keeping their pay and allowances away from Nigerians for years, a former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, in March 2018, mustered the courage to reveal the senators’ salary and allowances.

Nigerian Senate

Sani revealed in a statement that Nigerian Senators are earning N13.5million monthly as running cost. The lawmaker said the running cost was in addition to the over N750,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances of each member of the Senate.

He himself kicked against payment of the allowances, saying Senators ought to be paid only their salaries.

“I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month. Though no specific instruction on what the fund should be used for, lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running costs.

See Also Money Nigerian Senators Receive N13.5 Million 'Running Cost' Every Month - Shehu Sani 0 Comments 3 Years Ago

“The running cost is in addition to funds earmarked for each senator for constituency projects. But what I am saying is that money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without any accountability is N750,000.00. The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every Senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you. You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.

“Now, the corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because transparency groups have come into it.

“They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used. So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now. But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leaves senators and members of House of Reps with salaries,” Sani had said.

SaharaReporters details 10 areas the federal lawmakers’ jumbo pay could be reasonably expended to cut down the cost of governance.

It Can Pay Salaries Of 450 Workers 

One, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance for running cost can pay the N30,000 minimum wage of 450 Nigerian workers.

Only yesterday, the country had been thrown into a nationwide protest when the labour leaders raised their voices over a bill which seeks to remove the minimum wage negotiations from the exclusive legislative list.

Workers across 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory staged protests to register their opposition to the bill, which they claimed, was aimed at frustrating the minimum wage negotiations and bringing non-uniformity in workers’ earnings.

It Can Pay The Salaries Of 26 Professors

Two, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance can pay the salaries of 26 professors in Nigerian universities. A professor currently earns between N381,695 and N501,680 monthly in federal universities, going by the Federal Government Salary Scale Structure in universities.

It Can Pay N10, 000 Bursary For 1,350 Varsity Students 

Three, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance can go round 1,350 university students as N10,000 bursary each per semester or per session.

If the 106 senators’ allowances are summed up which makes N1.4 billion monthly, it will go round 143,100 students as bursaries – a move which if done by the Nigerian government will gladden the hearts of many parents and families.

A Senator's Salary Can Pay For 60 Doctors In Federal Teaching Hospitals 

Four, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance will pay the salaries of 60 doctors in Nigerian federal teaching hospitals and medical centres.

In a report done by Guardian in September 2020, of all 55 African countries, Nigerian doctors are among the least paid.

Doctors under federal government employment in Nigeria earn a gross monthly salary of between N195,000 and N220,000, while their colleagues in states earn between N150,000 and N240,000.

It Can Build A Block Of Six Classrooms 

Five, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance will erect and finish a block of six classrooms for a modern primary school in any average location across the country.

Six, the combined N13.5million allowances of the senators at N1.4 billion monthly can buy modern equipment in selected federal and state hospitals nationwide.

Others are that the senators’ jumbo allowances can fix the rural electrification of remote communities, the building of hospitals in communities where there are none; the provision of potable water in areas where there is water crisis and the empowerment of local farmers and farms to reap more produce for the food sufficiency of the country.

Politics News Reports AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/3qFMEcq

As Nigerians continue to demand the reduction in cost of governance by through the cutting of the allowances of political office holders, SaharaReporters takes a look at 10 things the jumbo pay of Nigerian federal lawmakers can fix in the country.

After the senators succeeded in keeping their pay and allowances away from Nigerians for years, a former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, in March 2018, mustered the courage to reveal the senators’ salary and allowances.

Nigerian Senate

Sani revealed in a statement that Nigerian Senators are earning N13.5million monthly as running cost. The lawmaker said the running cost was in addition to the over N750,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances of each member of the Senate.

He himself kicked against payment of the allowances, saying Senators ought to be paid only their salaries.

“I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month. Though no specific instruction on what the fund should be used for, lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running costs.

See Also Money Nigerian Senators Receive N13.5 Million 'Running Cost' Every Month - Shehu Sani 0 Comments 3 Years Ago

“The running cost is in addition to funds earmarked for each senator for constituency projects. But what I am saying is that money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without any accountability is N750,000.00. The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every Senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you. You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.

“Now, the corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because transparency groups have come into it.

“They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used. So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now. But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leaves senators and members of House of Reps with salaries,” Sani had said.

SaharaReporters details 10 areas the federal lawmakers’ jumbo pay could be reasonably expended to cut down the cost of governance.

It Can Pay Salaries Of 450 Workers 

One, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance for running cost can pay the N30,000 minimum wage of 450 Nigerian workers.

Only yesterday, the country had been thrown into a nationwide protest when the labour leaders raised their voices over a bill which seeks to remove the minimum wage negotiations from the exclusive legislative list.

Workers across 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory staged protests to register their opposition to the bill, which they claimed, was aimed at frustrating the minimum wage negotiations and bringing non-uniformity in workers’ earnings.

It Can Pay The Salaries Of 26 Professors

Two, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance can pay the salaries of 26 professors in Nigerian universities. A professor currently earns between N381,695 and N501,680 monthly in federal universities, going by the Federal Government Salary Scale Structure in universities.

It Can Pay N10, 000 Bursary For 1,350 Varsity Students 

Three, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance can go round 1,350 university students as N10,000 bursary each per semester or per session.

If the 106 senators’ allowances are summed up which makes N1.4 billion monthly, it will go round 143,100 students as bursaries – a move which if done by the Nigerian government will gladden the hearts of many parents and families.

A Senator's Salary Can Pay For 60 Doctors In Federal Teaching Hospitals 

Four, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance will pay the salaries of 60 doctors in Nigerian federal teaching hospitals and medical centres.

In a report done by Guardian in September 2020, of all 55 African countries, Nigerian doctors are among the least paid.

Doctors under federal government employment in Nigeria earn a gross monthly salary of between N195,000 and N220,000, while their colleagues in states earn between N150,000 and N240,000.

It Can Build A Block Of Six Classrooms 

Five, a senator’s N13.5million monthly allowance will erect and finish a block of six classrooms for a modern primary school in any average location across the country.

Six, the combined N13.5million allowances of the senators at N1.4 billion monthly can buy modern equipment in selected federal and state hospitals nationwide.

Others are that the senators’ jumbo allowances can fix the rural electrification of remote communities, the building of hospitals in communities where there are none; the provision of potable water in areas where there is water crisis and the empowerment of local farmers and farms to reap more produce for the food sufficiency of the country.

Politics News Reports AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/3qFMEcq

The Coalition for Good Governance and Rule of Law, an umbrella body of no fewer than 100 civil society organisations, has vowed to lead a protest against the leadership of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board.

The coalition accused Executive Secretary of the board, Ahmed Bobboi of lopsided appointments and abuse of office.

File photo: Oil worker.

It said the recently conducted recruitment exercise under the watch of Bobboi, deliberately entrenched a regime of nepotism where out of 200 persons offered employment, only 17 persons were hired from certain oil-producing states, while 173 persons came from non-oil producing states.

Ikpa Isaac, Convener/ President of the group in an open letter, asked Bobboi to toe the path of honour by resigning his position as the executive secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund with immediate effect.

“We are constrained to remind you that the Petroleum Equalisation Fund as a key government parastatal in the oil sector in Nigeria ought to be circumspect in the conduct of its activities that should reflect the spirit of nationalism and a sense of belonging for all Nigerians regardless of religious or ethnic affiliations.

“The Coalition for Good Governance and Rule of Law is constrained to remind you that your actions in recent times speak volumes of an individual that is insensitive to the plurality of Nigeria that is meant to be all-encompassing and to carry everyone along in the course of our national life.

“You may wish to be reminded that the recent recruitment exercise by your organization indeed is the height of insensitivity to the national interest in Nigeria and an indication that your motives are geared towards fulfilling the whims and caprices of a section of the country and against our collective interests as a country.

“It is on record that in the recently conducted recruitment exercise under your watch, you deliberately entrenched a regime of nepotism where out of 200 persons offered employment on July 13 and 14, 2020, only 17 persons were hired from certain oil-producing states, while 173 persons came from non-oil producing states.

“This is an anomaly that indicates that your leadership is disjointed and not in tune with the peculiarities of the time that requires creating a level playing ground for all Nigerians to actualise dreams.

“We wish to remind you that you did not only abuse your office, you also failed to implement the mandate of the Nigerian people by taking sides with a certain section of the country to the detriment of other parts of the country.

“Your actions were based on favoritism and ethnicity at the expense of meritocracy which does argue well for the continued peace and unity in Nigeria. That under your watch some regions of the country were short-changed and denied their quota in the recruitment exercise is despicable and capable of setting the country on a dangerous path of disintegration.

“In all honesty, we wish to state that from the above, you do not have the moral right to continue to remain in office as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Equalization Fund and as such we are consequently demanding your resignation from office with immediate effect.

“We are by this letter asking you to tow the path of honour by resigning your position as the executive secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund with immediate effect.”

Jobs Oil News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/3cmTuhV

The Coalition for Good Governance and Rule of Law, an umbrella body of no fewer than 100 civil society organisations, has vowed to lead a protest against the leadership of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board.

The coalition accused Executive Secretary of the board, Ahmed Bobboi of lopsided appointments and abuse of office.

File photo: Oil worker.

It said the recently conducted recruitment exercise under the watch of Bobboi, deliberately entrenched a regime of nepotism where out of 200 persons offered employment, only 17 persons were hired from certain oil-producing states, while 173 persons came from non-oil producing states.

Ikpa Isaac, Convener/ President of the group in an open letter, asked Bobboi to toe the path of honour by resigning his position as the executive secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund with immediate effect.

“We are constrained to remind you that the Petroleum Equalisation Fund as a key government parastatal in the oil sector in Nigeria ought to be circumspect in the conduct of its activities that should reflect the spirit of nationalism and a sense of belonging for all Nigerians regardless of religious or ethnic affiliations.

“The Coalition for Good Governance and Rule of Law is constrained to remind you that your actions in recent times speak volumes of an individual that is insensitive to the plurality of Nigeria that is meant to be all-encompassing and to carry everyone along in the course of our national life.

“You may wish to be reminded that the recent recruitment exercise by your organization indeed is the height of insensitivity to the national interest in Nigeria and an indication that your motives are geared towards fulfilling the whims and caprices of a section of the country and against our collective interests as a country.

“It is on record that in the recently conducted recruitment exercise under your watch, you deliberately entrenched a regime of nepotism where out of 200 persons offered employment on July 13 and 14, 2020, only 17 persons were hired from certain oil-producing states, while 173 persons came from non-oil producing states.

“This is an anomaly that indicates that your leadership is disjointed and not in tune with the peculiarities of the time that requires creating a level playing ground for all Nigerians to actualise dreams.

“We wish to remind you that you did not only abuse your office, you also failed to implement the mandate of the Nigerian people by taking sides with a certain section of the country to the detriment of other parts of the country.

“Your actions were based on favoritism and ethnicity at the expense of meritocracy which does argue well for the continued peace and unity in Nigeria. That under your watch some regions of the country were short-changed and denied their quota in the recruitment exercise is despicable and capable of setting the country on a dangerous path of disintegration.

“In all honesty, we wish to state that from the above, you do not have the moral right to continue to remain in office as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Equalization Fund and as such we are consequently demanding your resignation from office with immediate effect.

“We are by this letter asking you to tow the path of honour by resigning your position as the executive secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund with immediate effect.”

Jobs Oil News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/3cmTuhV

The Anambra State Police Command has declared a social welfare worker, Sabina Izuorah, wanted for alleged child trafficking.

In a statement on Thursday, the command's spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, said Izuorah, who is currently at large, has been declared wanted in connection with the alleged cases of child trafficking/stealing, forgery, and perjury.

Haruna said the suspect is responsible for the trafficking of the bloodied children that were recently found locked up after being severely beaten by three women suspected to be ritualists in the Fegge Housing estate area of the state in February 2021. 

He added that preliminary investigations revealed that the three children were allegedly sold to the three women by Izuora who has been on the police wanted list for child trafficking, child stealing, and forgery.

He also said she was in the habit of using forged police reports, forged authorisation letters from the Ministry of Women's Affairs and court affidavits, to sell stolen children to her waiting customers, both within and outside Nigeria.

The statement partly read, ''Further investigations also revealed that the suspect was involved in unlawful adoptions, using forged police reports, forged authorisation letters from the Ministry of Women's Affairs and sworn court affidavits, to sell children stolen from all parts of the country to her waiting customers, both within and outside Nigeria; including the recent attempt to smuggle out two children (a boy and a girl) allegedly stolen from Niger State since 2018."
 
The spokesperson added that the children recovered by the police are presently under the protective care of the Anambra State Ministry for Social Welfare, Women's and Children's Affairs, pending when their biological parents surface.

He said investigations are still ongoing and efforts are being intensified to apprehend other accomplices to bring them to justice.

CRIME Police News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/3tb6deC

The Anambra State Police Command has declared a social welfare worker, Sabina Izuorah, wanted for alleged child trafficking.

In a statement on Thursday, the command's spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, said Izuorah, who is currently at large, has been declared wanted in connection with the alleged cases of child trafficking/stealing, forgery, and perjury.

Haruna said the suspect is responsible for the trafficking of the bloodied children that were recently found locked up after being severely beaten by three women suspected to be ritualists in the Fegge Housing estate area of the state in February 2021. 

He added that preliminary investigations revealed that the three children were allegedly sold to the three women by Izuora who has been on the police wanted list for child trafficking, child stealing, and forgery.

He also said she was in the habit of using forged police reports, forged authorisation letters from the Ministry of Women's Affairs and court affidavits, to sell stolen children to her waiting customers, both within and outside Nigeria.

The statement partly read, ''Further investigations also revealed that the suspect was involved in unlawful adoptions, using forged police reports, forged authorisation letters from the Ministry of Women's Affairs and sworn court affidavits, to sell children stolen from all parts of the country to her waiting customers, both within and outside Nigeria; including the recent attempt to smuggle out two children (a boy and a girl) allegedly stolen from Niger State since 2018."
 
The spokesperson added that the children recovered by the police are presently under the protective care of the Anambra State Ministry for Social Welfare, Women's and Children's Affairs, pending when their biological parents surface.

He said investigations are still ongoing and efforts are being intensified to apprehend other accomplices to bring them to justice.

CRIME Police News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/3tb6deC

Gunmen on Wednesday kidnapped three women at the National Institute of Construction Technology, Uromi, Esan Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State.

The victims are one staff member of the institute and two students. 

According to SP Kontongs Bello, Public Relations Officer of the state police command, the trio were whisky away  from the school in the late hours of that fateful day. 

He said: “Three women were kidnapped at the National Institute of Construction Technology, Uromi, Esan Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State.

“The three were a staff member of the institute and two students and they were taken by five armed men.

“We got the details from those who escaped from the scene and efforts to rescue those in captivity have been set on the motion as policemen and hunters are combing the bushes.“

Insecurity News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Gunmen on Wednesday kidnapped three women at the National Institute of Construction Technology, Uromi, Esan Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State.

The victims are one staff member of the institute and two students. 

According to SP Kontongs Bello, Public Relations Officer of the state police command, the trio were whisky away  from the school in the late hours of that fateful day. 

He said: “Three women were kidnapped at the National Institute of Construction Technology, Uromi, Esan Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State.

“The three were a staff member of the institute and two students and they were taken by five armed men.

“We got the details from those who escaped from the scene and efforts to rescue those in captivity have been set on the motion as policemen and hunters are combing the bushes.“

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The Lagos zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested 14 suspects for alleged involvement in computer-related fraud.

In a statement, the commission's head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwajuren, said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday during an operation by operatives in Lagos.

It also stated that the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

The suspects include Azeez Oluwatimileyin, Stephen Abu, Gbolahan Abbas Ridwan, Oyenowo Steven, James Silas Didam, Joseph Ashiru and Musa Egwa.

Others are Precious Eluojo, Abass Mohammed, Olapade Johnson, Chibuzu Agron, Olayemi Miftehedeen and Abu Solomon.
 

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The Lagos zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested 14 suspects for alleged involvement in computer-related fraud.

In a statement, the commission's head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwajuren, said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday during an operation by operatives in Lagos.

It also stated that the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

The suspects include Azeez Oluwatimileyin, Stephen Abu, Gbolahan Abbas Ridwan, Oyenowo Steven, James Silas Didam, Joseph Ashiru and Musa Egwa.

Others are Precious Eluojo, Abass Mohammed, Olapade Johnson, Chibuzu Agron, Olayemi Miftehedeen and Abu Solomon.
 

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Surfing the internet for beneficial purposes on the night of the 10th of March 2021, I ran into a newspaper report from a press conference done by Leonard Ezenwa, which read “AAC disowns Sowore as its chair, Accuses him of impersonation”, published in the Vanguard Newspaper. I read through the supposed reportorial which must needs be balanced, but all I could find after the few words by way of introduction, is a published outburst of offensive of Leonard Ezenwa, all through to the end, aimed at Sowore. This mission shrouded in ungodliness triggered this reaction.

According to Leonard’s story as piped and puffed out by the press, Leonard claimed Omoyele Sowore had been suspended since March 2019, though he conceded the suspension was for six months and that while six-month’s suspension lasted, he acting as the Chairman of the party presided over a national convention of the party on the 9th of August 2019 in Owerri, Imo State, where he claimed Sowore was removed as the national chairman of the party and also expelled from the party, following which, like a comedy movie, he was contemporaneously proposed to occupy his erstwhile leader’s seat, as the party chairman and had been in that position since then, where he has now become a good friend of the INEC.
 
The INEC, all along had been pretending in its correspondences not to support Leonard’s illegalities but it has always surreptitiously done everything possible to make Leonard’s illegalities and falsehoods have their ways, just to cripple a party that was feared could spring a surprise and change the narratives. The INEC via its letter of the 14th of May 2019 attested much to this that there was no validly convened NEC of the Party to their Notice to have carried out the suspension of the National Chairman (Omoyele Sowore) of the Party. In the said letter, signed by Mrs Rose Onaran-Anthony, as Secretary to the Commission, paragraph 2 of the letter reads: “There is no documentary evidence that a meeting of the AAC National Executive Committee (NEC) was convened by the National Chairman as required by Chapter 9 Section 59(a) of the Constitution of AAC” and it went further thus:”There are no minutes or evidence of attendance of the AAC National Executive Committee meeting where the National Chairman and eight (8) others were purportedly suspended”. It concluded tersely: “...the commission shall continue to recognize and relate with Mr. Sowore Omoyele as the substantive National Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC)”.

 
Being a desperate missionary on a journey for one mission, to harness, while Omoyele Sowore travelled out of the Country to the United States of America on the 12th of May 2019, LEONARD NZENWA, having run against the wall with the INEC, before they became good friends which Leonard now flaunts around even when he had not been able to successfully present a single winning candidate to his newfound friend, INEC, in any political ward of any Local Government in Nigeria,  instituted an action in court on the 14th of May 2019, to oust his leader and the founding national chairman of the party, Omoyele Sowore who by then was already out of the Country and by the judgment of the 12th day of July 2019, in SUIT NO.FHC/ABJ/CS/512/2019, the Court gave its affirmation to the said suspension of the national chairman in his absence,  for a period of six months, beginning from the 27th of March 2019, which was the date LEONARD NZENWA alleged the suspension took place.
 
While it was never at any time conceded that there was a suspension as claimed by LEONARD NZENWA, which made Sowore lodge an appeal against the judgment of the 12th day of July 2019, in SUIT NO.FHC/ABJ/CS/512/2019, if there was any, the SIX MONTHS judicial suspension lapsed in September 27th 2019.
 
While the alleged suspension was going to expire in September 2019, on the 3rd of August 2019, Sowore’s arrest by the Nigerian State had been arranged and completed and Sowore had been detained for Leonard to finish his hatchet job and before Sowore was finally released on the 24th of December 2019, a Leonard, armed with this judgment which only gave orders that had a specific lifespan of SIX MONTHS, had embarked and disembarked on his voyage of carnival of illegalities and violations of the party’s constitution and rained letters torrentially on whoever cared to create time for reading trifles, that he had been crowned the substantive chairman of the party, while Sowore, the founding national leader and national Chairman of AAC, was in DSS custody, by a convention which never convened either in truth or in fact or on the touchstone of AAC constitution, as all the state chairmen Executive committees who should have sat in a national convention were not in any convention.
 
In a desperate bid to cover up his many lies, Leonard invented and defended with vigours, the same way and manners he defends his pocket, another lie, that he had removed the states Executive Committees of the party who he knew largely constituted whatever national convention the party would convene and that he had replaced them with elusive others, while gladiators were upping their game for upper hands during the last October 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, to find his way to the negotiation table for gains, Leonard appeared again and wrote to the INEC that he had removed the Ondo State Chairman of the party and replaced him with another, but the INEC, in its characteristic manners of stretching out the hand of Esau and voicing out Jacob’s, came out, by its letter of 10th of June 2020, relying on Chapter 17, Section 85(1) of the Constitution of the AAC, which states that “All National, Zonal, State/FCT Area Council and Ward Officers of the party shall hold office for a term of four years and shall be eligible for re-election at the National Convention or appropriate Congress for a further term of four years and no more”, to disprove Leonard and in paragraph 3 of the letter, INEC submitted thus: “In view of this provision, the replacement of the respective AAC State Chairmen with Acting Chairmen represents a breach of Chapter 17 of the Constitution of the AAC which provides for a tenure of office and periodic election”. Therefore by its letter of 10th of June 2020, the INEC informed LEONARD NZENWA that appointing acting chairman in Ondo State, among others, while there is a congress-elected substantive chairman is a breach of the constitution of the AAC and therefore, the African Action Congress’ State Executive Committee led by its substantive Chairman, ALEX ADENIYI, is the only authentic African Action Congress’ State Executive Committee for official purposes and to further prove the falsity of Leonard’s claims, the candidate of AAC in that election, the Ondo State’s October 2020 gubernatorial election, one Adekunle Adeleye, who emerged from the primary election conducted by ALEX ADENIYI-led Executive committee was the candidate accepted by the INEC.
The politicians’ season of shameless dance for power and pocket is approaching again and fixing eyes on 2023, Leonard would step up his game the way he had always done, in the face of Sowore’s national towering political image among the angry youths and the downtrodden who on a daily basis are finding new tones to their political voice in their clamour for a better country and in such season of anomy, all that is foul is fair by any desperate hireling whose mission in politics is to count not the votes but his account balance. This is what played out in the epistolary offensive of Leonard which he christened press conference, in which Sowore was run down like a war enemy, a writing in which standard, ethics, ethos and cleanliness are sacrificed for political expediency.
 
It is laughable that Leonard could call pressmen together and said, among other ranting, that he was very much bothered about Sowore’s utterances and actions which he claimed constituted threat to national security and that he felt so troubled about Sowore’s violation of his bail conditions as if he was either the Court who gave Sowore those bail conditions being allegedly violated or the government who is the Complainant against Sowore in some of these merely hurriedly contrived charges wired and wound around Sowore’s neck just to keep him down out of circulation for fears of his mass following amongst the angry youths which, as a fact, is feared could turn the table against the occupiers of our defiled political space, Leoanard’s hatchet job therefore is to give one dog many bad names, just to throw it up for hanging.
 
From point of facts, Omoyele Sowore, the founding national leader and national chairman of the AAC and LEONARD NZENWA, former National Secretary of the party, were strange accidental bedfellows who found themselves by some mystery in a nest that would not endure for long because both personages carried opposed principles, ideologies, histories, ideas and intentions.
 
The story of Frankenstein, Shelley’s Gothic story and his created monster, who came back for revenge, is the story of Omoyele Sowore, the founding national leader and chairman of African Action Congress and its  pioneer presidential candidate and Leonard Ezenwa, his estranged party pioneer secretary, who now vows that everything Sowore in AAC must die for his mission to live.
 
So like in Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s sapient creature, which he molded from assemblage of body parts of corpses, called 'monster', that was forcefully separated from his creator because of his physical imperfections, which Shelley, in her story described as terribly hideous, but who for being shunned and ostracized, led his way back to seek revenge against Frankenstein, his creator, Leonard Ezenwa, the one who answered secretary to his national leader, Omoyele Sowore, whose revolutionary antecedents and credentials give meaning to anything AAC today and without which anything AAC recedes to its natural space to compete with other parties the media men have described as mushroom parties, is on a mission, the vengeance mission.
 
Tope Temokun, a lawyer and rights activist, writes from Lagos.

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Tope Temokun Disable advertisements : 
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Surfing the internet for beneficial purposes on the night of the 10th of March 2021, I ran into a newspaper report from a press conference done by Leonard Ezenwa, which read “AAC disowns Sowore as its chair, Accuses him of impersonation”, published in the Vanguard Newspaper. I read through the supposed reportorial which must needs be balanced, but all I could find after the few words by way of introduction, is a published outburst of offensive of Leonard Ezenwa, all through to the end, aimed at Sowore. This mission shrouded in ungodliness triggered this reaction.

According to Leonard’s story as piped and puffed out by the press, Leonard claimed Omoyele Sowore had been suspended since March 2019, though he conceded the suspension was for six months and that while six-month’s suspension lasted, he acting as the Chairman of the party presided over a national convention of the party on the 9th of August 2019 in Owerri, Imo State, where he claimed Sowore was removed as the national chairman of the party and also expelled from the party, following which, like a comedy movie, he was contemporaneously proposed to occupy his erstwhile leader’s seat, as the party chairman and had been in that position since then, where he has now become a good friend of the INEC.
 
The INEC, all along had been pretending in its correspondences not to support Leonard’s illegalities but it has always surreptitiously done everything possible to make Leonard’s illegalities and falsehoods have their ways, just to cripple a party that was feared could spring a surprise and change the narratives. The INEC via its letter of the 14th of May 2019 attested much to this that there was no validly convened NEC of the Party to their Notice to have carried out the suspension of the National Chairman (Omoyele Sowore) of the Party. In the said letter, signed by Mrs Rose Onaran-Anthony, as Secretary to the Commission, paragraph 2 of the letter reads: “There is no documentary evidence that a meeting of the AAC National Executive Committee (NEC) was convened by the National Chairman as required by Chapter 9 Section 59(a) of the Constitution of AAC” and it went further thus:”There are no minutes or evidence of attendance of the AAC National Executive Committee meeting where the National Chairman and eight (8) others were purportedly suspended”. It concluded tersely: “...the commission shall continue to recognize and relate with Mr. Sowore Omoyele as the substantive National Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC)”.

 
Being a desperate missionary on a journey for one mission, to harness, while Omoyele Sowore travelled out of the Country to the United States of America on the 12th of May 2019, LEONARD NZENWA, having run against the wall with the INEC, before they became good friends which Leonard now flaunts around even when he had not been able to successfully present a single winning candidate to his newfound friend, INEC, in any political ward of any Local Government in Nigeria,  instituted an action in court on the 14th of May 2019, to oust his leader and the founding national chairman of the party, Omoyele Sowore who by then was already out of the Country and by the judgment of the 12th day of July 2019, in SUIT NO.FHC/ABJ/CS/512/2019, the Court gave its affirmation to the said suspension of the national chairman in his absence,  for a period of six months, beginning from the 27th of March 2019, which was the date LEONARD NZENWA alleged the suspension took place.
 
While it was never at any time conceded that there was a suspension as claimed by LEONARD NZENWA, which made Sowore lodge an appeal against the judgment of the 12th day of July 2019, in SUIT NO.FHC/ABJ/CS/512/2019, if there was any, the SIX MONTHS judicial suspension lapsed in September 27th 2019.
 
While the alleged suspension was going to expire in September 2019, on the 3rd of August 2019, Sowore’s arrest by the Nigerian State had been arranged and completed and Sowore had been detained for Leonard to finish his hatchet job and before Sowore was finally released on the 24th of December 2019, a Leonard, armed with this judgment which only gave orders that had a specific lifespan of SIX MONTHS, had embarked and disembarked on his voyage of carnival of illegalities and violations of the party’s constitution and rained letters torrentially on whoever cared to create time for reading trifles, that he had been crowned the substantive chairman of the party, while Sowore, the founding national leader and national Chairman of AAC, was in DSS custody, by a convention which never convened either in truth or in fact or on the touchstone of AAC constitution, as all the state chairmen Executive committees who should have sat in a national convention were not in any convention.
 
In a desperate bid to cover up his many lies, Leonard invented and defended with vigours, the same way and manners he defends his pocket, another lie, that he had removed the states Executive Committees of the party who he knew largely constituted whatever national convention the party would convene and that he had replaced them with elusive others, while gladiators were upping their game for upper hands during the last October 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, to find his way to the negotiation table for gains, Leonard appeared again and wrote to the INEC that he had removed the Ondo State Chairman of the party and replaced him with another, but the INEC, in its characteristic manners of stretching out the hand of Esau and voicing out Jacob’s, came out, by its letter of 10th of June 2020, relying on Chapter 17, Section 85(1) of the Constitution of the AAC, which states that “All National, Zonal, State/FCT Area Council and Ward Officers of the party shall hold office for a term of four years and shall be eligible for re-election at the National Convention or appropriate Congress for a further term of four years and no more”, to disprove Leonard and in paragraph 3 of the letter, INEC submitted thus: “In view of this provision, the replacement of the respective AAC State Chairmen with Acting Chairmen represents a breach of Chapter 17 of the Constitution of the AAC which provides for a tenure of office and periodic election”. Therefore by its letter of 10th of June 2020, the INEC informed LEONARD NZENWA that appointing acting chairman in Ondo State, among others, while there is a congress-elected substantive chairman is a breach of the constitution of the AAC and therefore, the African Action Congress’ State Executive Committee led by its substantive Chairman, ALEX ADENIYI, is the only authentic African Action Congress’ State Executive Committee for official purposes and to further prove the falsity of Leonard’s claims, the candidate of AAC in that election, the Ondo State’s October 2020 gubernatorial election, one Adekunle Adeleye, who emerged from the primary election conducted by ALEX ADENIYI-led Executive committee was the candidate accepted by the INEC.
The politicians’ season of shameless dance for power and pocket is approaching again and fixing eyes on 2023, Leonard would step up his game the way he had always done, in the face of Sowore’s national towering political image among the angry youths and the downtrodden who on a daily basis are finding new tones to their political voice in their clamour for a better country and in such season of anomy, all that is foul is fair by any desperate hireling whose mission in politics is to count not the votes but his account balance. This is what played out in the epistolary offensive of Leonard which he christened press conference, in which Sowore was run down like a war enemy, a writing in which standard, ethics, ethos and cleanliness are sacrificed for political expediency.
 
It is laughable that Leonard could call pressmen together and said, among other ranting, that he was very much bothered about Sowore’s utterances and actions which he claimed constituted threat to national security and that he felt so troubled about Sowore’s violation of his bail conditions as if he was either the Court who gave Sowore those bail conditions being allegedly violated or the government who is the Complainant against Sowore in some of these merely hurriedly contrived charges wired and wound around Sowore’s neck just to keep him down out of circulation for fears of his mass following amongst the angry youths which, as a fact, is feared could turn the table against the occupiers of our defiled political space, Leoanard’s hatchet job therefore is to give one dog many bad names, just to throw it up for hanging.
 
From point of facts, Omoyele Sowore, the founding national leader and national chairman of the AAC and LEONARD NZENWA, former National Secretary of the party, were strange accidental bedfellows who found themselves by some mystery in a nest that would not endure for long because both personages carried opposed principles, ideologies, histories, ideas and intentions.
 
The story of Frankenstein, Shelley’s Gothic story and his created monster, who came back for revenge, is the story of Omoyele Sowore, the founding national leader and chairman of African Action Congress and its  pioneer presidential candidate and Leonard Ezenwa, his estranged party pioneer secretary, who now vows that everything Sowore in AAC must die for his mission to live.
 
So like in Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s sapient creature, which he molded from assemblage of body parts of corpses, called 'monster', that was forcefully separated from his creator because of his physical imperfections, which Shelley, in her story described as terribly hideous, but who for being shunned and ostracized, led his way back to seek revenge against Frankenstein, his creator, Leonard Ezenwa, the one who answered secretary to his national leader, Omoyele Sowore, whose revolutionary antecedents and credentials give meaning to anything AAC today and without which anything AAC recedes to its natural space to compete with other parties the media men have described as mushroom parties, is on a mission, the vengeance mission.
 
Tope Temokun, a lawyer and rights activist, writes from Lagos.

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Tope Temokun Disable advertisements : 
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Bandits who abducted 19 persons from Kutunku community in Wushishi local government area of Niger State, have allegedly asked that N200 million be paid for their victims to regain freedom.

Kutunku village was invaded by bandits around 1:00 am on Monday, and 19 residents were whisked away.

File Photo

According to the Ibrahim Yusuf, the community head, the abductors made the demand on Wednesday through a phone call.

"They called us and asked for money. They are holding 19 people and they are telling us we should bring N200 million.

"We don’t know what to do because we are all in confusion in the village now, including our wives and children; we dont know what to do. Even if we sell our house, we cannot get that money," Yusuf said.

However, Yusuf stated that the matter has been reported to the police, as the villagers are "looking for a way out."

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The Attorney General of Lagos State, Moyosore Onigbanjo, has reportedly struck out the case against #EndSARS and #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters.

It was also stated that the belongings of protesters seized by law enforcement agents during their arrest are to be returned. 

File photo used to illustrate story.

This was stated in a tweet by @citizen_gavel, a company of over 160 lawyers that has been at the fore of the fight against injustice.

Some Nigerians have started reacting to this development. 

October 2020, Nigeria witnessed the #EndSARS protest in at least 12 states of its 36 states, as part of calls for the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious unit of the Nigerian Police with a long record of abuses.

Police officers disrupted the protests in some cities, firing teargas canisters, using water cannons and shooting at unarmed peaceful protesters as seen in Abuja and Osun.

The protest which lasted for some weeks was hijacked three weeks into the start of the movement by some hoodlums who reportedly set police stations on fire, looted warehouses and stores. 

Some protesters were arrested in their homes while the Central Bank of Nigeria obtained an ex parte motion to freeze the accounts of notable participants in the #EndSARS protest. 

Following the death of many protesters at the tollgate on October 20, Nigerians demanded justice across social media platform.

Government and security officials denied the killings despite evidence by journalists and human rights groups to the contrary.

Judicial panels of inquiry were set up across states in the federation. The panels were set up to investigate the cases of abuse by the members of the police force.
 
However on February 6, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State government approved the reopening of the Lekki Tollgate, returning the control of the tollgate to the Lekki Concession Company.

Nigerians kicked against this on Twitter and other social media platforms and planned a second protest: the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest which was slated for February 13. 

Some of the protesters who showed up, were arrested and detained at the Adeniji-Adele Police Station, in the commercial city of Lagos, where they were allegedly “beaten and tortured”.

The Nigeria police had, a day earlier, been deployed in their numbers across Lagos, with the clear intent of intimidating protesters who were planning to congregate at the tollgate.

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