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At least three persons have been confirmed dead during the invasion of Nche-Tahu village, Miango Community in Plateau State by some suspected Fulani herdsmen.

SaharaReporters gathered that the herders allegedly sneaked into the village and launched an attack on the residents killing three persons while many others sustained injuries.

Properties such as houses were also burnt in the process.

Meanwhile the victims who were killed by the herders have been identified as Timothy Yakubu, Audu Dara and Irimiya David.

It was learnt that a six hectares of farmland belonging to Timothy Yakubu was destroyed on Tuesday by the invaders.

Three others identified as Ayuba Francis, Anah Dick and a youth leader of Rotsu Youth Development Association, Mankula Yah, sustained serious injuries from gunshots.

They have been taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital for proper treatments.

Nuhu Bitrus Nga, Spokesperson of Miango Youth Development Association informed SaharaReporters on Friday that “on July 28 was another bad day for the Miango community as its resulted to yet another success of the wicked ones to attack Nche-Tahu village where three people were killed by names.

“Three others who sustained serious gunshot injuries include Ayuba Francis, Anah Dick and Mankula Yah, a youths leader of Rotsu youth development association.

"The perennial killings in the land have generated thousands of people homeless. This has led to a halt in socioeconomic activities of the community.”

Meanwhile, the community has urged the government to take responsibility by coming to their aid to put an end to the attacks from the herdsmen in the state.

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Pelumi Olajengbesi, counsel to the 12 persons that were arrested at the residence of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, has raised alarm over their deteriorating health at the Department of State Services' office.

Olajengbesi, who led another lawyer to the office of the DSS in Abuja on Friday, said the detainees were made to sleep on bare floor, given engine oil as soup, and were badly beaten by operatives of the Nigeria’s secret police.

The lawyer added that the agency kept back eight persons in custody, claiming that the names it was given were wrong.

Olajengbesi alleged that the detainees are being treated badly and worse than animals by the DSS.

He said, “Sequel to the appointment we had to visit the detainees, three of our lawyers led by Pelumi Olajengbesi Esq. were at the DSS today. However, we were only privileged to meet with 4 of them as the DSS insisted that they are working with the correct names of those in their custody as reflected in the Enrollment Order of the court.

“Notwithstanding, we extended greetings to all of them on behalf of Chief Sunday Igboho, Chief Yomi Alliyu SAN and on behalf of the entire legal team. While giving them hints about the state of the matter ahead of the hearing on Monday, we assured them of our commitment to their matter as effort is being made on a daily basis to secure their release, and that we are optimistic of getting justice very soon in their matter.

“On the issue of the discrepancies in the names, it was confirmed that there was error from both sides as to the correctness of their name. We, therefore, agreed to adopt same as reflected on the DSS' processes and we have concluded plans to file a motion for amendment of our processes in order to avoid any unnecessary legal debate that may further prolong the matter.

“It is important to state that their current situation is a classical definition of wholesome human rights abuse. Their health is sadly poor and in a sorry situation. They are made to sleep on the bare floor and are badly beaten before medical treatment is accorded them to heal and conceal injuries from the torture. Lady K, in particular, seems to have sustained fracture on her left leg and is in serious pains. She has not had a change of clothes and folds herself to sleep in the terrible cell. A larger percent of them have high blood pressure issues as confirmed by the SSS clinic. They are fed with a liquid they call Engine Oil as their soup for their food. Their normal routine is to eat and resume the toilet where they purge for long.

“Suffice to say, they’re being treated badly and worse than animals, and we did our best in assuring and keeping them upbeat and in high spirits before making our exit.”

The Nigeria’s secret police had on July 1 raided Igboho’s residence in Oyo.

The agency also paraded the 12 supporters of the activist, alleging that they attacked DSS operatives during the raid.

The supporters were subsequently moved to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they had been in detention.

Owing to their detention, the suspects had through their lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, filed an application at the court asking the court to “inquire into the circumstances constituting grounds of their arrest and detention since July 2, 2021, and where it deems fit admit applicants on bail.”

They also asked for an order “mandating and compelling the respondents to produce the applicants before this honourable court and show cause as to why the applicants should not be granted bail in accordance with the provisions of section 32 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015”.

Ruling on the application on July 23, Obiora Egwatu, the judge, said there was merit in the application.

Consequently, the judge granted all the orders sought and asked the DSS to produce the applicants in court on July 29 (today) and also show cause on why the court should not admit them to bail conditionally or unconditionally.

However, the secret police failed to produce the detained aides as ordered by the court.

The counsel for the applicants, Olajengbesi, alleged that the DSS had given the applicants new names as there are discrepancies in the spelling of their names.

Justice Egwuatu however held that the order of the court was for the DSS to produce the applicants in court.

He said that order should be obeyed first, before telling the court the circumstances of their arrest.

Justice Obiora reemphasised his order directing the respondent produce the applicants in court on 2nd August.

He also ordered the DSS to grant the applicants access to their counsel.

 

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The Russian Olympic Committee are fourth in the medal table at the Tokyo Games but their athletes are facing questions from fellow competitors about whether they should even be there.

A Nigerian cleric and General Overseer of the Christ Apostolic Miracle Ministry, Apostle Paul Okikijesu, has stated that he got a message “from God” to Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, and the Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho).

According to Okikijesu, God has promised to intervene in their cases, if the activists could fast and pray for three days as this will assure a divine intervention.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: within the next 21 days, I will release Kanu and Sunday from their incarceration,” he prophesied in a statement released on Thursday.

“They used people of their tribes for them to know their movement, arrest them, and bring charges against them.

“This is what caused what happened to them; because if there is no one with their organization, or very close to them, who anonymously provided confidential information, and betrayed them; they will not find themselves in their present situations.

“Kanu and Sunday should be cautious; they should not apply only their own wisdom to their journeys; because the wisdom of I the Lord alone is worth in anyone’s journey.

“It is certain people who decided that ‘let us silence these people.’ If there is a powerful person in a state, and there is no one who can subdue the powerful person; then, people will use those who are close to the powerful person, who understands him and speaks the language of the powerful person. It is such people that were used to divulge the ways to entrap Kanu and Sunday Igboho.

“Inform both Kanu and Sunday Igboho, they should fast for three days from July 29th, 2021 to July 31, 2021. I the Lord Myself, the Almighty God, the Ancient of Days, I the One who is called Jehovah in the eternal throne; who created mankind.

“I the Lord Myself will intervene in their cases, and I will take control/possess those who incarcerated them; then the truth shall manifest, and they will be set free from detention,” he said.

 

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Leader of a gang of bandits, Dogo Najaballah has been killed in Dungun Muazu forest located in the Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Najaballah was killed on Wednesday in a fight that broke out between his gang and a rival gang of bandits in the state over issues relating to the marriage of a woman. 

File photo used to illustrate story.

The members of the other conflicting group reportedly killed him, according to The Punch.

Some residents in the nearby communities told the newspaper that the rival gang was not happy with Najaballah's interference in the marriage which resulted in the fiasco.

Members of the slain leader's gang, however, unleashed terror on the rival gang and killed three of their members.

A resident on Thursday said, "Since Najaballah was killed yesterday (Wednesday), we have been careful when going to the area for farming. Some of us have even decided not to go there for farming until tension goes down there as the bandits behave irrationally."

The source revealed that Najaballah's corpse was buried in the forest on Wednesday.

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Nigeria's 'super cop', Abba Kyari who is battling an alleged involvement in a multimillion-dollar scam, has updated his verified Facebook page with a third-party post that questions the veracity of a viral US court’s document indicting him.

A US' Court had issued a warrant of arrest for Kyari for allegedly collaborating with serial internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, known as Hushpuppi, in a multi-million naira fraud.

Otis Wright of the United States District Court for the Central District of California ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation to track down Kyari and produce him in the United States for his role in a multi-million dollar fraud.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation have met with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba to demand the arrest and extradition of Kyari to the United States.

According to a top source, four FBI agents met with the IGP on Thursday asking that Nigeria's celebrated cop, Kyari be taken to the United States for interrogation.

Abbas was arrested in Dubai last June and he pleaded guilty to fraud in the U.S. this week. 

In his confession, he indicted Kyari. Also, an investigation by the FBI established the contact Kyari had with Hushpuppi hence the arrest warrant. 

Kyari, who has consistently denied his involvement in Hushpuppi's scandal, shared a Facebook post from a former minister, Femi Fani-Kayode rubbishing the entire American court’s allegations against Kyari.

The post reads: "A super cop that has risked his life protecting us from kidnappers, murderers & terrorists all these years& that has arrested more criminals than any other is accused of taking bribes from a yahoo boy & scammer all the way from America & we are expected to believe it? Not me!

"Abba is one of the bravest, brightest and best cops in Nigeria and I will not believe these crazy allegations levelled against him or condemn him unless I see any evidence to the contrary.

"He has proved himself over and over again when it comes to catching criminals and I do not believe that he is one himself. If he were he would not have such an excellent record in combating crime.

“Nigerians seem to take delight in believing and assuming the worse about their best. That is part of our problem: we love and celebrate the evil but we despise, hate and seek to pull down the righteous and good.

"As far as I am concerned there are as many crooked, bent & killer cops all over the world as there are good ones & America has its fair share of both. The only people that ought to take pleasure in reading this crap about Abba are the kidnappers and terrorists in our country.

"Allegations are a dime a dozen and an indictment does not amount to a conviction: show me the evidence or keep your mouth shut forever.

"I urge Abba to continue the good work he has been doing and not allow himself to be distracted by his numerous detractors.

"This is a deep conspiracy to destroy his career and it will not work."

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Yoruba Nation agitators will hold a protest at the Parliament Square in London on Saturday to demand the release of embattled Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho. 

This was disclosed by Olayomi Koiki, spokesman for Igboho on Friday. 

File photo used to illustrate story.

According to Koiki, the protest will hold on July 31 at the Parliament Square starting from 11 am. 

In a similar protest that was held a few days ago, the agitators were seen with various placards making their intentions known on the planned protest. 

The placards majorly carried pictures of Igboho and the Yoruba nation flag while many of them recited the anthem of the proposed nation. 

One of them was heard saying, “The reason we have converged here today is to let the international community know that on the 31st of July all over the world both in the Yoruba and Biafra nations, we are demonstrating. 

”We are making our grievances known through protests so that the international community will know that what happened, especially in the Benin Republic whereby Chief Sunday Igboho Oosa, the defender and also the one calling for the emancipation and self-determination of the Yoruba race, was going to Germany through Cotonou from the tentacles of the Nigerian government and the Department of State Services. 

”We all know what is happening in Nigeria, herders will destroy crops and when they are confronted by farmers, they kill them and Chief Sunday Igboho Oosa rose up to fight that. What wrong has he done?”

SaharaReporters had reported that the Benin Republic police two Mondays ago arrested Igboho at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport in Cotonou while trying to fly from the country to Germany.

The Department of State Services (DSS) had on July 1 raided the residence of the activist in Ibadan, Oyo state.

Igboho had planned to hold a ”Yoruba Nation Rally” in Lagos two days after the raid.

The DSS raided the residence, killing two people and arresting 12 aides but Igboho escaped.

The agency alleged that Igboho was stockpiling weapons, and subsequently declared him wanted.

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A human rights activist has explained how several petitions were sent to the Nigeria Police Force over atrocities allegedly committed by embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, but they were ignored for unknown reasons.

The source, who spoke to SaharaReporters, said the recent report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation did not come as a surprise to human rights groups, who pioneered the majority of the petitions.

According to him, many police units — including (Special Anti-Robbery Squad & Intelligence Response Squad) - headed by Kyari have been indicted in recurring cases of killing ‘wealthy’ suspects in custody and taking over the property perceived to be proceeds of crime.

He cited the death of Michael Adiukwu, a former police officer who masterminded the Offa bank robbery.

It was alleged that Adiukwu was ‘killed’ in custody because he was in possession of the money robbed from the bank.

The source also noted that a report by Amnesty International documented incidents of conversion of money and property of crime suspects arrested by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) under Abba Kyari by the operatives of the rogue unit.

According to him, the persistent petitions against the rogue activities of Abba Kyari's IRT were part of what forced the then Inspector-General of Police to shut down the IGP IRT/STS (Special Tactical Squad).

He said, “Do you remember the execution, in custody, of Adiukwu the Offa robbery mastermind? His co-accused said Adiukwu was in possession of the money they robbed from the banks.

“There is nothing new to us — Nigerian human rights groups — about the revelation by the US intelligence agency about Abba Kyari. Or shall I rather say that it didn't come to many of us who know him as a surprise?”

A statement was issued by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations in July 2020 itemising some of the instances of criminal activities and human rights atrocities of the personnel of the IRT and STS states across Nigeria.

The statement was signed by Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre; Segun Awosanya, Founder/President Social Intervention Advocacy Foundation (SIAF) and Justus Ijeoma, Esq, Executive Director, International Human Rights and Equity Defense Foundation (I-REF).

This followed a move by the then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to disband the satellite offices and bases of the Inspector- General of Police IRT/STS.

The statement read: "Many of them engage in abductions, detention, torture, and extortion of targeted victims. They appropriate exhibits and illegally seized properties not connected to any crime and demand bribes in millions to release their victims.

”Case 1: Francis Eze, a trader at Onitsha Medicine Market (Ogbogwu) was arrested on Wednesday 18th of March, 2020 by officers of IRT. He was on his way to Owerri in his Sienna car when he was accosted and arrested by the IRT officers who operated in a Hummer Bus.

”Francis was eventually released alongside others on Friday, the 20th in Kaduna while his vehicle was still held in their custody in Owerri. They also did not return his phone, wristwatch, and gold necklace to him. All these properties belonging to Francis have remained in their custody for yet-to-be explained reasons.

"Case 2: Onyebuchi Okonkwo informed us about the case of his brother, Ikechuchu Okonkwo, a trader at Bridgehead Market, Onitsha who was arrested on Monday, 8th of June, 2020 by a team of officers led by one Supol in Abuja. Ikechukwu was initially detained at Area Command, Onitsha and money extorted from him.

”Case 3: A young man who was facing harassment by operatives of IRT in Ogun State contacted RULAAC. His brother and friend were arrested in his place as bait to lure him to the station for a false allegation of armed robbery. One of the officers who arrested his brother was calling him and asking him to bring the sum of N200,000 for them to release his brother and end the manhunt on him.

”RULAAC got him to record the officers negotiating bribe with him. He did and forwarded the voice record to us. We forwarded the voice to the team leader who immediately released his brother and ended the manhunt on him after listening to the audio. The team leader also pleaded that we should not make the audio public. We still have it.”

”Case 4: Ann Okpara; A 36-year-old woman was arrested by men of the Intelligence Response Team at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters on July 14, 2017, at Igando, Lagos State.

“According to her, she was arrested in lieu of her husband whom the police alleged was an accomplice to Evans currently being tried for various kidnapping cases.”

“Case 5: This case was one of the cases reported in Amnesty International’s report released in June 2020 entitled ‘Time to End Impunity: Torture and Other Violations by Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)' under the sub-caption, 'Targeting Money And Property'.”

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Olusegun Falola, one of the nine lawyers to Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) has stated that the activist may be killed if the Beninese court decides to free him at this moment when there is still tension between the Nigerian government and its Benin Republic counterpart.

Falola noted that the resumption of Igboho’s trial might take two weeks or months in court, noting that only the judges could determine the next day of trial.

Sunday Igboho

The Doctor of Philosophy holder who teaches law in one of the Beninoise universities stated these in an interview with Nation on Thursday.

He said, “Though the laws of Benin Republic do not allow a person to be detained in police custody beyond one week, authorities in the Benin Republic believe that setting Igboho free at the time the matter was still generating a lot of heat in local and international circles might also expose him to danger.

“Igboho has not committed any offence here. He did not even stay here up to one day before he was arrested. He was arrested at the airport on his way out.

“Space and time were not enough to link him with any criminal issue here. This has made it difficult to say his mission here is to cause trouble or commit a crime. He was arrested because of political issues emanating from Nigeria.

“His continued incarceration here is to allow things to calm down and for peace to reign between Nigeria and Benin Republic. We have no criminal allegation against him in the Benin Republic.

“Anyone that insists that we should set Igboho free now only wants him killed. He can be killed, which may cause more problems.

“I have not seen him since Monday, but his wife is allowed to see him. I am processing for permission to see him. But I see his wife from time to time. We spoke about two hours ago. She said he is very safe where he is now. He was given medical attention immediately after he got to the prison.

“The new place is far better than the police cell because he will no longer be in handcuffs. He enjoys full protection and comfort where he is being kept. There is an instruction that he should not be made to feel like a prisoner or criminal. He is not a convict yet.

“About the next court appearance, we have not gone back to the court because that is not how we do it here. It takes some two weeks or months before we can do anything on the matter.

“As a matter of fact, it is the judges that can do something about the next court appearance.”

SaharaReporters had reported how the Benin Republic police two Mondays ago arrested Igboho at the Cardinal Bernardin International Airport in Cotonou, while trying to fly from the country to Germany.

The Department of State Services (DSS) had on July 1 raided the residence of the activist in Ibadan, Oyo state.

Igboho had planned a ”Yoruba Nation Rally” in Lagos two days before the raid.

The DSS raided the residence, killing two people and arresting 12 aides but Igboho escaped.

The agency alleged that Igboho was stockpiling weapons, and subsequently declared him wanted.

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Over the past six years, the living standard of the average Nigerian has reduced, and the evidence is beyond doubt. A contributing factor is the country's rising population, which leads to an increased demand for basic human needs like food, water, housing, and more. The high consumption contributes to ecological degradation and increased conflicts in the country. The persistent insecurity and other natural disasters have led to the displacement of millions of people and are considered a significant contributor to the lack of basic human needs.

For the average Nigerian, their main concern is the lack of basic human needs – air, food, water, are shelter are the four basic human needs required for our survival. Failure to provide for these human needs make our existence incredibly difficult. Out of the four basic humans needs, the only basic human condition that is readily available for Nigerians is the air we breathe. Community leaders are no longer silent about the increased level of hunger, the lack of clean water, and the shortage of accommodation in their lands.

As the days go by, the reality is dawning on Nigerians that the Buhari administration cannot implement policies to improve the livelihood of the growing population by providing basic human needs. Therefore, the next government will have to take responsibility to do so, and it is vital to begin planning as early as possible. These basic human needs can be provided simultaneously with security, safety, social stability, and the law.

One of the tasks of the next government should be designing a policy that will provide decent homes and a suitable living environment for Nigerians. In recent years, Nigerians have seen more homes being destroyed for a different reason than being built by the government, including Borno State, where 4000 houses were recently commissioned. This issue is more worrisome in the Northern part of the country.

Building houses are found to be more viable than building roads and bridges because they are paid for by most of the occupiers. However, the price of infrastructures like roads and bridges are solely borne by the providers – the government. The sources of these funds are usually from loans which represents a heavy fiscal burden for the respective governments. Unlike other public infrasturucture, public houses would cushion the financial pressure for the government as payments are made in the form of rents, mortgages, or sales. In my opinion, the new housing policy should be thinking beyond the provision of 300,000 houses across the country. The plan should target building tens of thousands of homes across the 774 local governments within a short period and should replicate the larger versions of those done across the country in the 1970s.

Nevertheless, the structure of government housing policy can be a complex business because it involves many players. The planners should be able to understand the complexities around engaging with private companies who will be involved in housing development and construction. Other issues include mortgages, subsidies, and the level of savings required for the beneficiaries.

It goes without saying that a successful housing plan will provide an enormous amount of jobs in the country. Building houses can go beyond providing basic shelter because it can help provide a stable environment where children can learn and succeed academically. With 44 percent of the country's 200 million people being under 15 years old, a housing policy can be a key to building a formidable working generation that will drive the country to be among the global elites in terms of productivity.

I one of my previous columns, I mentioned that education is one of the goals that can eradicate global poverty. A growing body of research also posits that as schools and teachers bear principal responsibility for children's education, a supportive and stable home environment can complement the efforts of educators, leading to better student achievement. Thus, a well-planned housing policy in Nigeria can create better educational opportunities for communities and build stronger economic foundations for families. Studies have found a strong link between successful housing policies and higher educational outcomes in developing economies. And communities with higher educational attainment tend to have lower birth rates.

World Bank data shows children born by a fertile Nigerian woman living in a more urban area is between three to five children, while a more rural family may have as many as ten. Due to lack of housing, these families find themselves in disturbing social issues like crimes, homelessness, and street begging. These issues contribute to other social issues like inequality and the poverty rate in the country. It is worrying for everyone, especially for the children who did not choose to be born into a specific community.

The evidence provided by the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index shows that 46 out of every 100 people live in extreme poverty due to deprivation of health and education and a lower living standard in the country. We can use housing policies as a tool for alleviating poverty. These policies can create facilities that will make the more inferior groups rise to a higher economic position. Doing so will demonstrate government assistance as a commendable investment in Nigeria's future.

Research in developed economies, like the US and the UK, has shown that housing developments create strong community development organisations. The housing communities tend to build collective bodies that provide internal support, regardless of residents' income and educational levels. Having such kind of virtue can be very useful for the Nigeria’s development. Also, the investigation across countries in Latin American and Asia shows that the history of so many social issues arises from unstable, unaffordable, and poor-quality housing. Housing policies we contributed to alleviating these issues. Individuals with access to housing opportunities rise on the economic ladder, and the benefits of such opportunities are essentially connected to the community at large.

The success of the housing policy will depend on all those players involved, including potential beneficiaries. They should be able to understand their role and how the policy is designed to work. That is why the next government should start planning because it will be disappointing for Nigerians to have another government that will spend five months thinking of how to provide basic human needs.

 

Dr Nasir Aminu – Cardiff Metropolitan University

Twitter: @AminuEcon

 

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The Coalition of Public Interests Lawyers and Advocates (COPA) has demanded the immediate removal of a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, as the head of the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force over his indictment in a United States’ fraud case.

The group said the retention of Kyari in the office was no longer tenable considering the damning revelations made against him and his office by self-confessed internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, more commonly called Hushpuppi.

The coalition disclosed this in a statement signed by the National Coordinator, Pelumi Olajengbesi, on Friday in Abuja.

The statement urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to oversee the investigation into the allegations in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation which had so far demonstrated a vigorous resolve by providing evidence against the senior police officer.

The lawyers noted that the indictment against the super cop was an embarrassment to the Nigeria Police Force and the country as a whole.

The statement partly reads, “The continuous retention of Abba Kyari as the head of Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force is no longer tenable pending the conclusion of an independent investigation into the extent of his guilt, complicity or the lack thereof in the damning revelations made against his person and office by self-confessed internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi.

“That the weight of the allegation(s) against DCP Abba Kyari puts his repute and office in question and invites a thorough investigation into the matter in a manner free from prejudicial interference from his colleagues and associates.

“That the alleged fraternization of a top and decorated Nigerian cop with a figure of such questionable habits and precedents is an indictment on the quality of personnel within the Nigeria Police Force as a whole, and thus necessitates an inquiry into the competence and ethics of the hierarchy of the entire Police Force.

“The Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and Advocates (COPA) notes that it will be unsatisfactory to pay mere lip service to the general public in this matter as the much publicised details of Mr. Abba Kyari’s indictment by the FBI is driving a national frenzy and curiosity that must be sufficiently met.

"The Nigeria Police Force must therefore show proof of its relieve of DCP Abbas Kyari from his position on the Force and hands-off the inquest into his involvement in fraud and the abuse of police power.

“We want to assure the general public that this matter will not be swept under the carpet under our watch and that no sacred cows will be venerated in the search for truth and justice.”

SaharaReporters had on Thursday reported how Hushpuppi, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges, in the US named Kyari as an accomplice and provided evidences of how he bribed the top police officer.

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The Federal Government has said it would be launching the six Super Tucano fighter aircraft purchased from the United States by next Tuesday, August 3.

The Nigerian government also refuted the claim of an $875 million ammunition deal with the United States which was reportedly blocked by some lawmakers in the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made this known on Friday, describing the purported ammunition deal reported as false.

The Minister said the government was satisfied with the progress and cooperation with US, noting that there was no contract of such nature and sum between Nigeria and the US.

“There is no contract of arms between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the United States of America today apart from the 12 Super Tucano Attack Helicopters of which six had been delivered.

“We are quite satisfied with the progress and cooperation that we received from the government of the US on this issue.

“As a matter of fact, six of the Tucano helicopter will be launched on August 3, this year.

“We are not aware of the so called 875million USD arms contract or some helicopters which they said some lawmakers in the US are trying to persuade the president of the US not to honour.

“The relationship between Nigeria and the US is smooth and waxing stronger,’’ he added.

It was in the news earlier that some influential U.S. lawmakers were masterminding a hold on a proposed sale of ammunition and attack helicopters to Nigeria over allegations of human rights abuses and anti-democratic actions of the present administration.

It was said lawmakers are holding down a proposed sale of attack helicopters to Nigeria, citing poor human rights record of President Muhammadu Buhari's government, as it grapples with multiple security crises.

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Just weeks after Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the mercurial erstwhile fugitive leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its military wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) was nabbed  in Nairobi, Kenya, and renditioned controversially to Nigeria the popular Yoruba (Oduduwa) nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, was arrested by the Interpol in Cotonou, Benin Republic, as he made his way to board a flight to Germany. His wife, Ropo, was apprehended with him. 

Unlike Kanu, however, whose abduction and rendition generated much furore on the Biafran streets more than the elite circles, the Yoruba elite, kings and leaders, had rallied round Igboho displaying a united front and solidarity towards the cause for which the glorified freedom fighter was being 'persecuted'.

SOC Okenwa

Following the audacious invasion of his Soka, Ibadan, country home by the Department of State Services (DSS) agents in the wee hours of the night late last month Igboho was declared wanted by the secret police having been accused of stockpiling arms and ammunitions aimed at destabilizing the nation. In the bloody raid two of Igboho's aides were killed and a dozen of his domestic assistants arrested and taken away. They are still in detention!

The arsenal of war displayed by the DSS as those found inside Igboho's residence during the violent dusk operation were enough proof of Igboho's determination and preparedness to fend off any attack or aggression from any quarters. Though he had denied ownership of the weapons the other personal effects seized (passports, amulets, charms, traditional bullet-proof vests etc) somehow lent credence to the DSS claim.

Presently there is a judicial battle engaged by the Buhari regime to have Igboho brought back to Nigeria from the neighbouring Benin Republic to face justice. He was officially accused by the Nigerian government of gun-running, incitation of violence and insurrection.

Last monday the trial of the two most-wanted 'terrorists' began in earnest, one in Abuja and the other in Cotonou. While the DSS failed to produce Kanu in court citing logistical problems Igboho was present at the Cour d'Appel de Cotonou where his case was heard.

The Beninese Judges were trying Igboho principally for his illegal entry into the Francophone country and not on extradition demands of the Buhari regime or his possession of fake Beninese passport with which he had sought to bolt away into exile in Germany. After a marathon trial spanning hours till about midnight Igboho was ordered remanded in custody pending further investigations.

By allegedly forging the Beninese international passport Igboho could have pulled off his escape to Germany if he were to have used another airport other than that of Cotonou. A crime in itself in Benin, passport forgery, Igboho could have used the huge network of Yorubas in Benin Republic to realise the 'Oluwole' passport with which he sought to flee.

He did beat the security surveillance in Nigeria by escaping from Nigeria through the famous 'NADECO route'. He could have disguised himself as a woman or hidden inside a boot of a car or even escorted by rogue security personnel for a fee. Perhaps Ayodele Fayose, the former Governor of Ekiti State, could have given Igboho some lessons on how best to beat security even around Government House.

Fayose, it would be recalled, during his first stint as Executive Governor of Ekiti State during 'Babacracy', had reportedly hidden himself inside a rickety car as his 'immunity' expired following the end of his tenure.

Obasanjo had vowed to get him arrested for massive corruption allegations but he smartly evaded arrest!

When we warned Igboho against his fetish hubris in one of our essays few months ago he probably did not read it or take it seriously. Now with 'juju' failing him at home and abroad it remains to be seen how much his faith in same had shaken. If he is not yet demystified then his demystification could come sooner than expected.

When he was picked up at the airport in Cotonou a scuffle reportedly broke out leading to a wounded wrist. And when a handcuff was applied to the wounded wrist Igboho was said to be in serious pain, crying all night long like a baby whose feeding bottle had been taken forcefully away! His marabouts or fetish priests were nowhere to be found!

Igboho may not be 'finished' yet having been found and fixed as it were. But in the end whether his extradiction back to Nigeria works or backfires President Buhari has succeeded in silencing yet another strong voice for secession. 

The embattled underwhelming President had scored a major point by having Kanu in Abuja and Igboho in Cotonou -- all behind bars. If Igboho is eventually sent home following the improbable judicial triumph by the Nigerian state then Buharism could have had everything to celebrate for. Caging Kanu and Igboho is about the 'greatest' achievement recorded thus far by a rudderless administration whose colossal failure to fix things social and economic and improve the Nigerian condition has since been established as a fact.

Yet, while President Buhari and his gang could gloat over the mortal blow inflicted on the leadership of the separatist movements in the south-east and south-west the truth of the matter remains that Igboho and Kanu are not the major problems confronting our nation. Sectionalism, injustice, inequality, poverty and terrorism are more dangerous problems than the agitations for the Biafran and Oduduwa Republics.

If things were normal, if the President were to be ruling well then the Kanus and Igbohos of this world would not have emerged to right the wrongs perceived in the system.

With Boko Haram's Abubakar Shekau dispatched to the great beyond (even though Buhari and the ruling APC mob could not claim credit for his elimination) and IPOB/ESN's Nnamdi Kanu cornered and caged the coast is now clear for Buhari to continue in his hypocritical 'One-Nigeria' mantra. 

Yet restructuring, in our patriotic reckoning, remains the only way out, going forward.

SOC Okenwa
soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr

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Only 25 per cent of school-age girls in Northern Nigeria proceed to secondary school while only four per cent of them are able to complete it, according to a survey by a group, the Centre for Girl Child Education.

The centre’s board member, Binta Muhammad, disclosed this on Thursday in Sokoto.

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According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Muhammad stated that CGE was established in 2007 with 64 girls in rural communities in Kaduna after a baseline survey was conducted.

Speaking on the CGE report, Muhammad said, “The survey indicated that only 25 per cent of primary school girls continue to secondary school, and only four per cent graduate secondary school.”

She explained that the non-governmental organisation had improved access and quality of schooling and vocational training for rural and low-income urban girls in northern Nigeria.

She added that the CGE intervened in gender-based violence, intensive literacy, life skills, nutrition, and others in Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Borno, Bauchi, and Gombe.
 

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Unknown gunmen have kidnapped Ann Unenge, the wife of Benue State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Bernard Unenge, in Makurdi, the state capital.

She was kidnapped on Thursday evening, Nation reports.

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A relation of the commissioner has disclosed that Ann was returning from Daudu town, an outskirt where she went to pay her parents a visit before she was abducted shortly.

She was said to be driving a new model Toyota Highlander, which her abductors also took away.

It was gathered that there was a struggle between the abductors and Ann at B. Division traffic junction when she attempted to forcefully open the car door so she could escape.

The gunmen reportedly shot sporadically into the air at the junction to scare away passersby before driving away with their victim, who was shouting on top of her voice.

The incident, which is the second in Makurdi, took place less than one week after two women were abducted in a similar fashion.

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A day after failing to produce the 12 persons that were arrested at the residence of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, before the Federal High Court, in Abuja, the Department of State Services on Friday allowed their lawyers to see only four of them in detention.

This follows an order by a Federal High Court on Thursday that the agitators must be produced.

SaharaReporters learnt that the DSS, however, kept back eight persons in custody, claiming that the names it was given were wrong.

SaharaReporters gathered that their lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, led another lawyer to the office of the DSS on Friday.

"The DSS invited the lawyer to the 12 Yoruba Nation agitators arrested at Sunday Igboho's house in Ibadan to visit them (the agitators).

"This follows an order by the Federal High Court judge in Abuja this week that they must be produced," a source told SaharaReporters on Friday.

“But they brought three men and the lady among them (Lady K), who has not been allowed a change of clothes since July 1. They claimed the names of the rest were wrong,” the source added.

The court had granted an ex parte application by the detainees and among others, ordered the DSS to produce them on July 29 and to show cause why they should not be granted bail.

At the resumed hearing in the case on Thursday, the secret police failed to produce the applicants but made effort to justify its inability to comply with the court’s order.

The applicants are Abdulateef Ofeyagbe, Amoda Babatunde, Tajudeen Erinoyen, Diakola Ademola, Abideen Shittu, Jamiu Noah, Ayobami Donald, Adelabe Usman, Oluwapelumi Kunle, Raji Kazeem, Taiwo Opeyemi and Bamidele Sunday.

However, Justice Obiora Egwuatu told the DSS that when a court of competent jurisdiction gave an order, such orders were meant to be obeyed.

The agency had on July 1 raided Igboho’s residence in Oyo.

Peter Afunanya, the DSS spokesman, said the security agency recovered illegal arms including seven AK-47 rifles and thousands of ammunition from Igboho’s house.

The agency also paraded the 12 supporters of the activist, alleging that they attacked DSS operatives during the raid.

The supporters were subsequently moved to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they had been in detention.

Owing to their detention, the suspects had through their lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, filed an application at the court asking the court to “inquire into the circumstances constituting grounds of their arrest and detention since July 2, 2021, and where it deems fit admit applicants on bail.”

They also asked for an order “mandating and compelling the respondents to produce the applicants before this honourable court and show cause as to why the applicants should not be granted bail in accordance with the provisions of section 32 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015”.

Ruling on the application on July 23, Obiora Egwatu, the judge, said there was merit in the application.

Consequently, the judge granted all the orders sought and asked the DSS to produce the applicants in court on July 29 (today) and also show cause on why the court should not admit them to bail conditionally or unconditionally.

However, the secret police failed to produce the detained aides as ordered by the court.

The counsel for the applicants, Olajengbesi, alleged that the DSS had given the applicants new names as there are discrepancies in the spelling of their names.

Justice Egwuatu however held that the order of the court was for the DSS to produce the applicants in court.

He said that order should be obeyed first, before telling the court the circumstances of their arrest.

Justice Obiora reemphasised his order directing the respondent produce the applicants in court on 2nd August.

He also ordered the DSS to grant the applicants access to their counsel.

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A human rights activist and Amnesty International designated Prisoner of Conscience, Omoyele Sowore has reacted to the renaming of a street after Nigeria’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari who is currently wanted for alleged fraud in the United States.

Kyari had on May 26 posted a picture on his Instagram page showing him standing beside a signpost of a street named after him in Borno.

“Thanking GOD Almighty and My State Governor for this Surprise Honor in My Home Town, Maiduguri, Borno State,” he had posted.

Reposting the picture on Friday, Sowore wrote, “Everywhere you turn in #Nigeria, a street had been named after a thief, a boulevard for a coward, an army barrack bequeathed to a murderer, an airport for a Génocidaire, a magnificent building for a judge who perverted justice…When are we toppling these statutes? #Revolutionnow.”

The United States Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, had issued an arrest warrant against Kyari for his alleged links to the suspected fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, who is standing trial for various offences that include internet fraud and money laundering.

Hushpuppi has since pleaded guilty to the charges and, if convicted, risks a 20-year-jail term, three-year supervision upon completion of jail term, and monetary restitution to the tune of $500,000 or more.

“The defendants allegedly faked the financing of a Qatari school by playing the roles of bank officials and creating a bogus website in a scheme that also bribed a foreign official to keep the elaborate pretense going after the victim was tipped off,” said Acting United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison.

“Mr. Abbas, who played a significant role in the scheme, funded his luxurious lifestyle by laundering illicit proceeds generated by con artists who use increasingly sophisticated means.

“In conjunction with our law enforcement partners, we will identify and prosecute perpetrators of business email compromise scams, which is a massive and growing international crime problem."

“Mr. Abbas, among the most high-profile money launderers in the world, has admitted to his significant role in perpetrating global BEC fraud, a scheme currently plaguing Americans,” said Kristi K. Johnson, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

The court documents also outlined a dispute among members of the Hushpuppi conspiracy, which allegedly prompted him to arrange to have an individual identified as ‘co-conspirator’ Kelly Chibuzor Vincent, jailed in Nigeria by DCP Kyari.

According to the affidavit, “Kyari is a highly decorated deputy commissioner of the Nigeria Police Force who is alleged to have arranged for Vincent to be arrested and jailed at Abbas’ behest, and then sent Abbas photographs of Vincent after his arrest.

“Kyari also allegedly sent Abbas bank account details for an account into which Abbas could deposit payment for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment.”

The Inspector-General of Police has ordered an internal review of the United States’ authorities’ allegations against Kyari.

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