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The Afghan central bank governor, Ajmal Ahmady, tells the BBC he thinks country's economic situation will deteriorate.

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The announcement came as New South Wales reported its biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the request of the Central Bank of Nigeria to freeze the accounts of some fintech companies for 180 days. 

The companies include Rise Vest Technologies Limited, Bamboo Systems Technology Limited, Bamboo Systems Technology Limited OPNS, Chaka Technologies Limited, CTL/Business Expenses, and Trove Technologies Limited.

File photo used to illustrate story.

As seen in a court paper, the apex bank said it is investigating ‘illegal foreign exchange transactions’ by the fintech companies.

CBN also sought the court injunction to freeze their bank accounts for 180 days pending the completion of investigations.

In the motion ex parte marked FCH/ABJ/CS/822/2021 and filed at the High Court on August 4, CBN through its counsel Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, submitted that “the investigation being carried out concerns what has been discovered to be serious infractions by the defendants/respondents in connection with some foreign exchange transactions, and non-documentation by the defendants/respondents in violation of the extant laws and regulations, particularly the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and the Central Bank of Nigeria foreign exchange manual.

“That more specifically, there is a grave allegation that the defendants/respondents are engaged in illegal foreign exchange transactions, accessing/procuring of foreign exchange via their banks from the Nigerian foreign exchange market via several bureaux de change, international money transfer operators and have transferred cash deposit of more than S10,000.00 (Ten thousand dollars) to various accounts overseas contrary to provisions of extant laws and regulations and also traded in foreign securities and cryptocurrencies in contravention to CBN Circular referenced TED/FEM/FPC/GEN/01/012 and BSD/DIR/PUB/LAB/014/001, dated February 5, 2021, and July 01, 2015.

“It is evident that Rise Vest Technologies Limited, Bamboo Systems Technology Limited, Chaka Technologies Limited and Trove Technologies Limited are complicit in operating without a license as asset management companies and utilising FX sourced from the Nigerian FX market for purchasing foreign bonds/shares in contravention of CBN’s directive.”

In his ruling, Ahmed Mohammed said: “Having listened to senior counsel to the applicant, on the motion ex parte filed in August, it is granted as prayed.”

He added that anyone who feels aggrieved about the freezing order is entitled to approach the court within the period to seek redress while the matter was adjourned to February 20, 2022, for hearing.
 

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Many tweeps, including foreigners have likened the insecurity and situation in the Northern part of Nigeria to that of Afghanistan.

Taliban fighters had on Sunday invaded Kabul, Afghan capital, after being ousted from power in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.

The insurgent movement besieged the outskirts of Kabul, firing shots sporadically while citizens and foreigners were seen escaping the city.

In 2001, US-led forces removed the Talibans from power, but the group has returned, taking over the central government.

Given the insurgents’ treatment of women historically, there have been fears for their safety under the Taliban’s new regime.

Under the Taliban, women and girls were denied a whole range of human rights, including the rights to education, health, free movement, and political and social participation, Amnesty International said in a November 2020 report. 

It added that since the Taliban regime ended in 2003, important strides have been made on women’s rights with 3.3 million girls now in education. 

It aded that the strides could be eroded with the shift in power in the country as Afghan women have become lawyers, doctors, judges, teachers, engineers, athletes, activists, politicians, journalists, bureaucrats, business owners, police officers, and members of the military.

Most Nigerians on Twitter have expressed fear that what happened in the Asian country might happen in Northern Nigeria if the government refuses to act fast.

They claimed that Taliban’s ideology is already pervading and permeating deep into the region, adding that weapons seized by the group may soon find their way to Northern Nigeria.

Northern Nigeria has also been the epicentre of an insurgency war between military forces and Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists. 

Also, despite condemnations from Nigerians, the Hisbah group, also known as Islamic police, has continued its push for the Islamic agenda in the North.

The agency, established to enforce Sharia law in some states in the region, recently banned stylish haircuts, sagging of trousers, playing of music at social events by disk jockeys and tricycle riders from adorning their vehicles with pictures considered to be obscene and against the tenents of Islam.

In Kano, they have asked that only headless mannequins must be used to advertise clothing. 

The Islamic police also want the headless mannequins covered at all times because to show "the shape of the breast, the shape of the bottom, is contrary to the teachings of Sharia [Islamic law]".

A barber and his customers were also arrested recently for giving and having haircuts that were considered by Hisbah as offensive to Islam.

They are also notorious for destroying truckloads of alcoholic drinks.

In March, Hisbah operatives arrested two men said to have sent pornographic materials to a married woman.

The suspects were traced and arrested after the woman complained to the board.

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The Super Eagles have been drawn with Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau in the group stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

This was announced at an event held in Yaounde Cameroon on Tuesday evening.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a published document of the match schedule for the tournament, says the 2021 AFCON is scheduled to take place from January 9 to February 6, 2022.

CAF has scheduled the opening match to be played at the newly built Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, which has a capacity of 60,000.

See full groups below:
Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde
Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi
Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon
Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea Bissau
Group E: Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Cote D’ Ivoire
Group F: Mali, Mauritania, Gambia, Tunisia
 

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The Super Eagles have been drawn with Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau in the group stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

This was announced at an event held in Yaounde Cameroon on Tuesday evening.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a published document of the match schedule for the tournament, says the 2021 AFCON is scheduled to take place from January 9 to February 6, 2022.

CAF has scheduled the opening match to be played at the newly built Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, which has a capacity of 60,000.

See full groups below:
Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde
Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi
Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon
Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea Bissau
Group E: Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Cote D’ Ivoire
Group F: Mali, Mauritania, Gambia, Tunisia
 

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The European Union (EU) has said it will only cooperate with the Taliban if fundamental human rights are being respected, including those of women. 

This was made known by the bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell who added that the Taliban must prevent the use of Afghanistan's territory by terrorists, Reuters reports.

Borrell outlined the EU's stance in a statement after an emergency meeting of European Union foreign ministers to discuss the Taliban's quick seizure of the Afghan capital Kabul.

"I haven't said that we are going to recognise the Taliban. I just said that we have to talk with them for everything, even to try to protect women and girls. Even for that, you have to get in touch with them,” Borrell told a news conference.

Recall that the Taliban, in their first official news briefing since the seizure of Kabul, said they wanted peaceful relations with other countries and would respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law.

Their announcement though short on details suggests a softer line than during their rule 20 years ago.

Meanwhile, the United States and Western allies have evacuated diplomats and civilians the day after as Afghans and other nationals thronged the Kabul airport.

Borrell said the EU's priority was to evacuate EU staff and Afghan helpers from Kabul. He put the number of locals who have been working for the EU at almost 400, their families included.

Spain has offered to act as a hub to receive these people before they are sent on to EU countries that have offered them shelter, he said.

Humanitarian aid for Afghans must be maintained and even increased, but assistance will only go to the Afghan government if conditions are met, Borrell said.

Starting a dialogue soon is needed to avert a potential migratory disaster and a humanitarian crisis, he added.

"We have to get in touch with authorities in Kabul ... the Taliban have won the war, so we will have to talk to them."

Borrell ranked the fall of Kabul to the Taliban as the most important geopolitical event since the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014.

"It will have an impact on the geopolitical balance of the world," he said, meaning the EU would have to work more closely with countries such as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and China.

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Amid growing concerns over the Afghanistan crisis, the Association of Journalists for United Nigeria, better known as Journalists for United Nigeria (JUN), has urged Nigerians to first seek the peace, unity, and security of their country.

This comes after the unsavoury scenes from Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover of the country's government.

Meanwhile, Western nations have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from an increasingly chaotic Kabul airport while other Afghan citizens have also been seeking to flee the country for fear of a brutal rule by the militants.

In a statement on Tuesday, the convener of the group, Fredrick Nwabufo, noted that the easy transition of power to the Taliban in Afghanistan despite decades of military support by powerful countries should caution Nigerians, particularly those who are bent on foreign intervention.
 
He said, "There is no salvation in the West or in the East; we Nigerians are the potter, we must build Nigeria with our own hands."

The statement partly read, "The events in the country recently call for patriots to rise up and hold the fort. We cannot palliate the enormity of the challenges that confront us as a people today. We have come to a point where all citizens, statesmen, and women, young and old, must hold out hands and forge a common fist to deal with these existential threats.

"We must embrace peace-building as a path to peace in our communities. We need state protection, but it is much easier when we are not propagating hate and division.

"Nigeria is ours. Nigeria is worth fighting for. As a peace and national unity advocate, the Association of Journalists for United Nigeria (JUN), better known as Journalists for United Nigeria (JUN), calls on all Nigerians and critical stakeholders in the country to make the pursuit of peace at this tempestuous epoch in our evolution a bounden duty."

The group further urged all self-determination groups in the country to embrace peaceful methods as it emphasised that self-determination is a universal right. However, it noted that "taking up arms to kill citizens and security agents pivots on the bounds of terrorism."

JUN advised that Nigerians make demands using constitutional methods to maintain peace as it called on the government to employ peace-building initiatives where necessary to avoid a crisis.
 
‘’JUN, a group committed to peace-building, national cohesion, and progress, notes the agitations for secession in some sections of the country. While it is within the rights of anyone to agitate and seek self-determination, violence, and coercion in any form, should not be part of any righteous advocacy.

‘’We must denounce violence in all forms by all actors. Violence should not be found among the civilised human species. Violence achieves nothing but death, broken bones, and spilt blood. When agitations result in loss of lives and property, the state naturally will move to restore order.

"We would like to emphasise that self-determination is a universal right, but taking up arms to kill citizens and security agents pivots on the bounds of terrorism. All Nigerians should pursue constitutional means in whatever they seek. The cost of war is greater than the price of peace. There are no real victors in a war -- only death and destruction.

"We acknowledge some of the fundamental issues behind these agitations – social inequality, poverty, unemployment, injustice, and corruption. These are issues affecting all the people of Nigeria. Every Nigerian is marginalised. And this is a consequence of leadership failure over the years. We ask the government to look into the underlying causes of these agitations – beyond deploying force. We cannot successfully treat metastasising cancer if we do not surgically address the root causes.

"We suggest that the government employ peace-building initiatives, dialogue where necessary, and hold out the olive branch when practicable.  

"Section 24b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) says 'it shall be the duty of every citizen to help to enhance the power, prestige and good name of Nigeria, defend Nigeria'. JUN draws its mandate from this section of the constitution.

"Journalists for United Nigeria (JUN) is strictly non-partisan; not a pressure or lobby group, but a think-factory to connect minds in the media who are committed to a united Nigeria.

"We believe the media possesses some of the brightest minds. JUN is more or less a discussion forum for like-minded people. It is non-partisan; it is not a pressure group. It is not a lobby group; it is not a political group. It is a forum where journalists can converge to exchange ideas and opinions on how to strengthen national unity

"We need in abundance citizens who can be Nigerians. It is our view that only journalists fit into this. By virtue of being men and women of the pen, we shape opinions and narratives. The sustenance of our unity rests largely in our hands. We must rise to the occasion and mobilise both the political class and the populace to imbibe our togetherness. We have no other country but Nigeria. Let us, through our profession, lead by example.

"We would like to be emphatic here; this group was conceived out of a strong desire for the peace and progress of Nigeria. We believe we are stronger together.

"Again, JUN is purely voluntary for Nigerian journalists. No financial rewards whatsoever; except for the psychological fulfilment that comes from knowing you are contributing to the peace and growth of your country.

“We appeal to all Nigerians to put the unity, peace, and security of Nigeria first in their engagements, public statements, and actions."

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Nigeria's Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has reacted to a lawsuit filed by 36 state Attorney-generals over the government’s failure to remit funds into the federal account.

They also prayed the court to declare that “it is unconstitutional for the President, through the federal Minister of Finance, the AGF, or any other authority whatsoever, to utilise, apply, allocate, expend and appropriate same to itself or distribute same in any other manner howsoever without due allocation from the federation.”

They declared that all the assets recovered from 2015 till date have not been remitted as required by the Constitution.

The suit marked, SC/CV/395/2021, is before the Supreme Court and seeking “a declaration that by the provisions of Section 162(1) and Section 162(10) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), all income, returns, proceeds or receipts howsoever described derived from confiscated, forfeited and/or recovered assets constitute revenue of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which must be remitted to federation account for the collective benefit of the federal, state and local governments.”

According to a statement signed by his media aide, Umar Gwandu, the AGF argued that international recoveries are governed by “Conflict of laws” principles and not local legislation given multiple sovereignties involved, POLITICS NIGERIA reports. 

It said, “International recoveries are more or less governed by international conventions, negotiations, and agreement of parties. It is never a straightjacket application of local legislation.

“Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission Act has nothing specific on funds recovered from indicted public officers. It merely mentions accruals and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account. So questions of recovery of stolen funds from indicted public officers are appropriately dealt with by other relevant laws.
 
“It is, therefore, misleading to give the impression that such recoveries and usage of stolen funds and stashed abroad are provided for by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act.

“One cannot situate rights and entitlements on looted funds and recovered assets with myopic and narrow understating of concepts of the application of local legislations.

“For the avoidance of doubt and the purpose of setting the record straight, the application of the looted funds can only be factored within the context of mutual understanding and negotiations of international and multifaceted jurisdictional and territorial legislative issues.

“The recovery of stolen assets and the subsequent uses to which these funds may be employed are subject to international agreements between Nigeria and the affected countries, thereby bringing the conflict of laws into contemplation.”

The statement continued, “Importantly also, these repatriated funds are based on cooperation and mutual assistance agreements, especially the United Nations Convention against Corruption and Implementation of the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) Principles on the Repatriation of Stolen Assets. The African Union and the ECOWAS Protocols on recovery of illicit funds are equally relevant when it comes to the role of Nigeria in relation to its other partners.

“As a member of the committee of nations and a respectable international partner, Nigeria must always strive to fulfill its international commitments in the repatriation and use of stolen funds and assets.

“By way of example, the Federal Government of Nigeria has entered into numerous agreements such as the one with the United States and the Island of Jersey in 2020 and including with other countries around the world. Where the agreements assume an international character, the specifics of the agreement often dictate the trajectory of recovery, sharing, transfer, and implementation.

“Some element misunderstood the issue of international recoveries and locally generated funds in relation to monies belonging to the Federal Government that are locally generated. It is not to be confused with stolen funds and assets domiciled in foreign jurisdictions whose recovery and subsequent repatriation are based on international legal arrangements between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the foreign custodians of these funds.

“It needs to be further noted that even recoveries of local assets are in most cases regulated by the applicable legislation and judicial pronouncements associated with this legislation and not Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission Act exclusively. One can cite for the purpose of clarity recoveries done by the NDLEA, EFCC, ICPC among others.”

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Mohammed Fawehinmi, the eldest son of the late revolutionary lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, will be laid to rest on August 27 in Ondo State. 

Director of the International Press Centre and close associate of the family, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

Mohammed died on August 11 following a brief illness. 

He was 52.

His burial was delayed because the family wanted to carry out post-mortem on his body.  See Also Sports Mohammed Fawehinmi: Gone Too Soon (Being A Special Tribute) By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN 0 Comments 12 Hours Ago

According to Arogundade, the night of tributes and service of songs will be held on Wednesday.

It was learnt that the family will hold the service of songs at the Vining Hall, Adetiloye House, Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Oba Akinjobi Road, GRA, Ikeja from 4:00 pm.

“Interment will be on Friday, August 27 at Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s compound in Oka, Ore Road, Ondo, Ondo State at 9:00 am.

“Outing service comes up on Sunday, August 29, at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral in Lagos at 10:00 am,” he said.

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Mohammed Fawehinmi, the eldest son of the late revolutionary lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, will be laid to rest on August 27 in Ondo State. 

Director of the International Press Centre and close associate of the family, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

Mohammed died on August 11 following a brief illness. 

He was 52.

His burial was delayed because the family wanted to carry out post-mortem on his body.  See Also Sports Mohammed Fawehinmi: Gone Too Soon (Being A Special Tribute) By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN 0 Comments 12 Hours Ago

According to Arogundade, the night of tributes and service of songs will be held on Wednesday.

It was learnt that the family will hold the service of songs at the Vining Hall, Adetiloye House, Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Oba Akinjobi Road, GRA, Ikeja from 4:00 pm.

“Interment will be on Friday, August 27 at Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s compound in Oka, Ore Road, Ondo, Ondo State at 9:00 am.

“Outing service comes up on Sunday, August 29, at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral in Lagos at 10:00 am,” he said.

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The Pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has berated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for reintegrating 'repentant' Boko Haram terrorists into society.

The National Chairman of the group, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the 'repentant' Boko Haram insurgents should be prosecuted for the crimes committed against Nigerians.

File photo used to illustrate story

He further expressed concern as a large number of these assailants that have caused many Nigerians grief, are finding their way back to the society they once threw into anguish.

Ogbeh, a former Minister of Agriculture, made the observation in a statement he personally signed, which was released by the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe in Kaduna on Tuesday.

The statement was entitled, ‘On repentant Boko Haram Terrorists and the Principle of Equity and Justice’.

It read, “We are currently witnessing large scale surrender of large numbers of Boko Haram Insurgents, among whom are bomb makers, commanders, arsonists, rapists, and child snatchers.

“Do we have good reason to cheer and hope for an end to this decade-old insanity? Is ‘I am sorry’ enough to bring relief to Nigerians and the thousands of the dead and the maimed? What of those victims bombed in the churches, mosques, schools, and markets? What of all the men and women in uniform murdered by them?

“Who can count the thousands of widows and orphans they have created?

“So, what do we do with them? Should we just embrace them and trust them wholesale? Are their moves informed by altruistic repentance? We seriously doubt.

“We join the Governor of Borno (Babagana Zulum), The Shehu of Borno, Senator Ndume and millions of Nigerians in pondering over this development and our simple advice is: Bring them to trial, or free all others presently in custody anywhere, while we Nigerians plead guilty of naivety and gullibility in the extreme, punishable by more insurrection and anarchy.”

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The Pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has berated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for reintegrating 'repentant' Boko Haram terrorists into society.

The National Chairman of the group, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the 'repentant' Boko Haram insurgents should be prosecuted for the crimes committed against Nigerians.

File photo used to illustrate story

He further expressed concern as a large number of these assailants that have caused many Nigerians grief, are finding their way back to the society they once threw into anguish.

Ogbeh, a former Minister of Agriculture, made the observation in a statement he personally signed, which was released by the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe in Kaduna on Tuesday.

The statement was entitled, ‘On repentant Boko Haram Terrorists and the Principle of Equity and Justice’.

It read, “We are currently witnessing large scale surrender of large numbers of Boko Haram Insurgents, among whom are bomb makers, commanders, arsonists, rapists, and child snatchers.

“Do we have good reason to cheer and hope for an end to this decade-old insanity? Is ‘I am sorry’ enough to bring relief to Nigerians and the thousands of the dead and the maimed? What of those victims bombed in the churches, mosques, schools, and markets? What of all the men and women in uniform murdered by them?

“Who can count the thousands of widows and orphans they have created?

“So, what do we do with them? Should we just embrace them and trust them wholesale? Are their moves informed by altruistic repentance? We seriously doubt.

“We join the Governor of Borno (Babagana Zulum), The Shehu of Borno, Senator Ndume and millions of Nigerians in pondering over this development and our simple advice is: Bring them to trial, or free all others presently in custody anywhere, while we Nigerians plead guilty of naivety and gullibility in the extreme, punishable by more insurrection and anarchy.”

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Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria,  Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, on Tuesday, said those seeking to destroy the sect, after the 2015 Zaria massacre, have failed woefully as they ended up raising a bigger movement.

He made this disclosure during his first meeting with representatives of various chapters and forums of the religious sect in Abuja, Vanguard reports.

According to El-Zakzaky, the persecution targeted at the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), coupled with his six years of incarceration, increased the fortunes and visibility of the Muslim organisation globally.

El-Zakzaky said: “If the culprits launched the all-out attack with a view to crushing the Movement, they had not succeeded with anything other than raising the Movement to a level which was not before expected.

“We could say the 2015 Zaria massacre is really a trying period which affected the public.”

He extended appreciation to all domestic and foreign human rights organisations and humanitarian groups that were pressing for his unconditional release from detention as well as catering to the needs of his followers, who suffered various injuries and losses in the quest for his freedom.

El-Zakzaky condoled with the families that lost their loved ones during the 2015 military attack on the sect and in the quest for justice.

He prayed to God to reward them abundantly and make paradise their final abode.

Forces under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government killed three of El-Zakzaky's six sons. 

According to Amnesty International, more than 350 people are believed to have been unlawfully killed by the Nigerian military between 12 and 14 December 2015, following a confrontation between members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna state.

This sad event is today known as the Zaria Massacre. 

And according to a report by the United Kingdom-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), 34 defenceless Nigerians, including three sons of El-Zakzaky were murdered in cold blood on July 25 and 26, 2014. 

This was during the government of Goodluck Jonathan. 

More than 100 others were also injured, it added.

Those killed were identified as Mahmud of Al-Mustapha University, Beirut; Ahmad, a chemical engineering student at Shenyang University, China; and Hamid, an aeronautical engineering student at Xian University, China.

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Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria,  Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, on Tuesday, said those seeking to destroy the sect, after the 2015 Zaria massacre, have failed woefully as they ended up raising a bigger movement.

He made this disclosure during his first meeting with representatives of various chapters and forums of the religious sect in Abuja, Vanguard reports.

According to El-Zakzaky, the persecution targeted at the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), coupled with his six years of incarceration, increased the fortunes and visibility of the Muslim organisation globally.

El-Zakzaky said: “If the culprits launched the all-out attack with a view to crushing the Movement, they had not succeeded with anything other than raising the Movement to a level which was not before expected.

“We could say the 2015 Zaria massacre is really a trying period which affected the public.”

He extended appreciation to all domestic and foreign human rights organisations and humanitarian groups that were pressing for his unconditional release from detention as well as catering to the needs of his followers, who suffered various injuries and losses in the quest for his freedom.

El-Zakzaky condoled with the families that lost their loved ones during the 2015 military attack on the sect and in the quest for justice.

He prayed to God to reward them abundantly and make paradise their final abode.

Forces under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government killed three of El-Zakzaky's six sons. 

According to Amnesty International, more than 350 people are believed to have been unlawfully killed by the Nigerian military between 12 and 14 December 2015, following a confrontation between members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna state.

This sad event is today known as the Zaria Massacre. 

And according to a report by the United Kingdom-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), 34 defenceless Nigerians, including three sons of El-Zakzaky were murdered in cold blood on July 25 and 26, 2014. 

This was during the government of Goodluck Jonathan. 

More than 100 others were also injured, it added.

Those killed were identified as Mahmud of Al-Mustapha University, Beirut; Ahmad, a chemical engineering student at Shenyang University, China; and Hamid, an aeronautical engineering student at Xian University, China.

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Olusegun Falola, one of the counsel for Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, has said his client will not return to Nigeria because "they are planning to kill him". 

 

According to Falola, Igboho is safer in Benin Republic where he is standing trial than in Nigeria, where he fled after his residence was raided on July 1 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS). 

Sunday Igboho

Falola disclosed this while giving an update on the safety of the Yoruba nation agitator. 

 

“The case will make revelations as to which government is powerful in Africa, our government may not be wealthy, and not much in population as compared to Nigeria but there is a signed treaty that must be respected.

 

“Igboho cannot be left to return back to Nigeria for now because of the destruction of his properties that was witnessed, they are not looking for Sunday Igboho alone but planning to kill him.

 

“They are looking for how to kill him and that’s very dangerous to allow him return to Nigeria. So he is being kept safe in custody,” he told Nation.

 

Igboho is being detained in Benin Republic after he was arrested at an airport in Cotonou while he was trying to travel to Germany. 

 

He fled Nigeria after the DSS declared him wanted, accusing him of stockpiling arms and ammunition to wreak havoc in Nigeria. 

 

The result of his trial in Benin Republic will determine whether Igboho will be extradited to Nigeria or not. 

 

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Olusegun Falola, one of the counsel for Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, has said his client will not return to Nigeria because "they are planning to kill him". 

 

According to Falola, Igboho is safer in Benin Republic where he is standing trial than in Nigeria, where he fled after his residence was raided on July 1 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS). 

Sunday Igboho

Falola disclosed this while giving an update on the safety of the Yoruba nation agitator. 

 

“The case will make revelations as to which government is powerful in Africa, our government may not be wealthy, and not much in population as compared to Nigeria but there is a signed treaty that must be respected.

 

“Igboho cannot be left to return back to Nigeria for now because of the destruction of his properties that was witnessed, they are not looking for Sunday Igboho alone but planning to kill him.

 

“They are looking for how to kill him and that’s very dangerous to allow him return to Nigeria. So he is being kept safe in custody,” he told Nation.

 

Igboho is being detained in Benin Republic after he was arrested at an airport in Cotonou while he was trying to travel to Germany. 

 

He fled Nigeria after the DSS declared him wanted, accusing him of stockpiling arms and ammunition to wreak havoc in Nigeria. 

 

The result of his trial in Benin Republic will determine whether Igboho will be extradited to Nigeria or not. 

 

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Sources in the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have revealed how the Federal Minister of Communications and Digital Economy of Nigeria, Isa Ali Pantami, bribed officials within the agency to enforce a bill targeted at destroying ICT startups in the country. 

 

Sources who spoke with SaharaReporters, stated that the minister has been putting in effort to destroy the technology sector and impose his fundamentalist ideals on the works of other agencies. 

Isa Pantami

Pantami’s past call to Jihad and unalloyed support for murderous groups like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda portray him as a dyed-in-the-wool Islamic fundamentalist. Yet, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Pantami as communications minister to control the country’s massive data and telephone infrastructure and other sensitive details of national intelligence.

 

The President also recently stood by the minister after his past support for terrorist groups became public knowledge. 

 

"This jihad is an obligation for every single believer, especially in Nigeria,’’ Pantami said in one of his vicious preachings in the 2000s. “Oh God, give victory to the Taliban and al-Qaeda (Allahumma’ nṣur Ṭālibān wa-tanẓīm al Qā‘ida).”

 

SaharaReporters, however, learnt that Pantami recently took members of the board of NITDA to Turkey, in a bid to bribe them to get his controversial bill to scale through. 

 

One of the sources said, “Pantami tries to destroy technology sector and systematically encroach on works of other agency. He took members of the board of NITDA to Turkey, trying to bribe them over such bills."

 

"They were in Turkey last two months and the fruits of the bribery that will destroy startups in the ICT sector and create more jobless Nigerians is on track,” another source said. 

 

The new bill for which Pantami is lobbying officials is targeted at repealing the National Information Technology Development Agency Act, no 28 2007.

 

SaharaReporters obtained a copy of the bill titled ‘A bill for an Act to repeal the National Information Technology Development Agency Act, no 28 2007 and enact the National Information Technology Development Agency Act to provide for the administration, implementation, regulation of information technology systems and practices as well as digital economy in Nigeria and for related matters’. 

 

The bill, according to sources, seeks to repress (regulate) the information technology sector as it highlights weighty penalties for offenders ranging from N3 million for individual offenders to N30 million for corporate offenders.

 

Section 20 of the bill under Licensing And Authorisations explicitly spells out the requirement for licences, registrations and authorisations for operators in this sector. 

 

It read, “The Agency shall by Regulation issue licenses and authorisations for operators in the information technology and digital economy sector, and such regulation shall provide for licensing and authorisation criteria including renewal, suspension, and revocation conditions to promote free-market operation and competition, among others.”

 

Subsection 2 states, “The Agency shall determine and register operators in the information technology and digital economy sector. Such register shall be published.  

 

”Any person or body corporate who operates an information technology or digital economy service, product, or platform contrary to the provisions of this Act, commits an offence.”

 

Section 21 lists the classes of licences and authorisations to include: Product License, Service Provider License and Platform Provider License.

 

The bill states a N3 million to N30 million fine for offenders over “non-payment upon expiration of a demand notice of an assessed levy within 2 months by a corporate body... Where a person or body corporate fails to comply with the regulations, standards, guidelines, frameworks, circulars, directives or any subsidiary legislation issued by the Agency in the discharge of its duties under this Act...”

 

It adds, “Where a person or body corporate attempts to or denies any person authorised by the Agency or by law, entry into premises or access to records or data, in pursuance of the provisions of this Act, such a person or body corporate commits an offence and is liable on conviction: (a) in the case of an individual, to a fine of not less than N3,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of not less than 1 year or both; and (b) in the case of a body corporate, to a fine of not less than N30,000,000.00 and in addition, every director and principal officer of such body corporate shall individually be liable to not less than N3,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of not less than 2 years or both.”

 

The bill also states in subsection 4: “Where a person or body corporate imports or deploys the usage of any information technology equipment that has been designated by the Agency as requiring approval before importation or deployment, without first obtaining such approval or complying with the conditions imposed by the Agency for the importation and usage of the equipment, the person or body corporate commits an offence and is liable on conviction...”

 

The new bill, when signed into law, will protect the agency and employees from legal suits. 

 

Section 28 of the bill titled ‘Limitation of suits against the Agency’ reads, “Subject to this Act, the Public Officers Protection Act shall apply in relation to any suit instituted against any member, officer, or employee of the Agency.  

 

”Notwithstanding anything in any other law, no suit against the Agency, a member of the Board, the Director-General of the Agency or any other officer or employee of the Agency for any act done in pursuance or execution of this Act or any other law, or of any public duty or authority or regarding any alleged neglect or default in the execution of this Act or any other law, duty or authority, shall lie or be instituted in any court unless it is commenced: (a) within three months after the act, neglect or default complained of; or (b) in the case of a continuation of damage or injury, within six months after the ceasing of such damage or injury.

 

“No suit shall be commenced against the Agency, a member of the Board, the Director-General of the Agency, or any other employee of the Agency before the expiration of a period of one month after written notice of the intention to commence the suit shall have been served on the Agency by the intending plaintiff or his or her agent.  

 

”The notice referred to in subsection (3) of this section shall clearly state the: (a) cause of action; (b) particulars of the claim; (c) name and address of the intending plaintiff; and (d) relief claimed.”

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