ATTACK ON NBA: An Affront on Democracy -Concerned Nigerians Group

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March 29, 2018

The attack yesterday on the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch by the Nigerian Police and the DSS is an affront on our nascent democracy and another testament that Nigeria, under president Muhammadu Buhari is fast drifting into fascism.

Since this administration came on board in 2015, there has been a relentless onslought on our Democratic institutions like the Judiciary, legislature and even the fourth estate of the realm, the Media.

The right to join fellow agrieved citizens in protest is critical to a functioning democracy. The Nigeria Police and other security agencies often times violate this very right through means intended to prevent people from expressing themselves.

It is not out of place for citizens to make informed decisions such as protesting on the streets while also working to expose corruption, Injustice and the abuse of power.

People must be free to seek, receive, share opinion and information online and offline without being arrested or harrased by the authorities.

We must ensure that the safety of human rights of journalists, lawyers and public commentators are protected

We will resist any attempt by the government to stifle dabate on matters of public interest.

The United Nations human rights resolution which Nigeria is signatory to, allows everyone to hold opinions without interference.

The siege on the Nigerian Bar Association, office, Ikeja branch and the subsequent arrest of it’s chairman Mr Adesina Ogunlana over planned protest against the Lagos Land Use Charge is another attempt by this despotic government to bully lawyers and individuals into submission.

Moreover, we are calling on the government to be responsible and stop hounding citizens using the instrumentality of the state.

Theophilus Abu Agada

National Publicity Secretary

FOR: Concerned Nigerians

A Pro-Democracy Group in Nigeria dedicated to the rule of law, good governance and anti-corruption.

Biafra:Stay Off-Achuzia Family Warns

By

bvichannel1

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March 29, 2018

Asaba – Families of Civil War veteran and Biafran Hero, Col. Joseph ‘Hannibal’ Achuzia has proscribed the activities of Biafra, MASSOB, and anything making reference to such unregistered political movements at the burial ceremony of their father.

They warned that security agencies and others have been informed that the family does not want placards, uniforms, flags and others at the burial to stop reactions from any quarters at the burial, which must be crisis free.

Chairman of the Burial Committee, Ogbueshi Ejiofor Onyia, posited on Tuesday in a chat with INDEPENDENT in Asaba, announced formally that their brother has passed away maintaining that since they are determined to give him a peaceful burial they have decided to stop any protest, demonstration, banners, uniforms and others.

Flanked by the children of the celebrated soldier, Onyia said different organisations such as Ohaneze Ndigbo which he served as its Secretary General, Churches, state governments from the South-South and South East, traditional institutions have been informed and have given their consent to the development so that he burial would not be hijacked for political reasons so that peace can reign.

According to him, everybody must abide by the family procedures as given by the family, and that the family will not entertain any unnecessary utterances from any quarter, group or individuals, warning that for him to live p to 90 years means he lied a good life and he needs peace.

“The whole world will have to honour him as he will be buried sitting down as a High Chief, traditional title holder and that there will not be lying in state except the Day of Tribute in Enugu’’

He continued: “We are guarded that people may take laws into their hands. We have briefed the Commissioner of Police, the Governor of the state of our procedures and the way we want them.

Source ; Independent

Linda Ikeji is Engaged! Don jazzy Laments About it

By

Queen Madu

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March 29, 2018

Music mogul, Michael Collins Ajereh, aka Don Jazzy, has reacted to the news of engagement of popular blogger, Linda Ikeji.

Sandra, Linda’s sister confirmed the news on her instagram handle on Wednesday.

Linda’s ex-boyfriend recently relocated to Nigeria and the lovebirds decided to rekindle their affair.

Sandra wrote via @sandra_Ikeji: “congratulations @officiallindaikeji So habby sweet sis! This tells me that sometimes the wait is worth it.”

In his reaction, Don Jazzy posted a picture on his instagram @donjazzy.

He was seen being consoled by some friends over his dashed dreams of making Linda his ‘wife’.

He captioned the post with a crying emoji: “Kai Linda is engaged. It is finished.’’

Don Jazzy had earlier ‘proposed’ to the blogger her on social media.

One of such was a recent photo of Linda with the caption “When you re fine you re fine abeg.”

Peter Okoye of the defunct PSquare, offered to sponsor Don Jazzy’s wedding with Linda if he made good his promise.

Daily post

Police intercept a man Transporting Human Skulls

By

Queen Madu

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March 29, 2018

A 32-year-old Lagos tailor, Mr. Suleiman Ajenifuja, has been arrested with three suspected human skulls.

The father of two, who also claimed to be working as a street sweeper in Lagos, said he was taking the skulls to an Islamic cleric for spiritual purposes when he was arrested.

He said he combined street sweeping with tailoring, adding that he wanted to use the skulls to make a ritual to draw more customers to his shop.

Ajenifuja said a friend connected him to the Islamic cleric.

He said, “I am a tailor, but I also work with the Lagos State Government as a street sweeper from 11pm to 2am. While I was working one night, I saw a bag containing these things (the skulls). I initially wanted to drop the bag, but someone told me that the skulls could be used for some things.

“I contacted one of the boys that we usually talk together, named Saheed, and he gave me the Alfa’s phone number. When I called the Alfa, he told me to come to Ilorin. I have never been to Ilorin before, but he asked me to alight at a particular place where he would come to pick me.

“He had earlier asked me what I wanted to do with the items and I told him that I wanted what would bring more people to my shop.”

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr, Ado Lawan, who paraded Ajenifuja along with other criminal suspects in the state, said he was arrested on March 26 by operatives of the Federal Highway Patrol Team of the command, led by one Mr. Erumebekakhue Benson.

He added that the team intercepted a commercial vehicle conveying seven passengers en route to Ilorin from Lagos.

He said when the passengers were searched, three skulls wrapped in a sack were recovered from a black bag belonging to Ajenifuja.

According to him, the suspect admitted to being the owner of the exhibits and claimed to be taking them to Ilorin from Lagos for ritual purposes.

The CP said the suspect would be arraigned after investigation.

He noted that the command had, during the ongoing mop up of arms, recovered 51 firearms from members of the public who responded to the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, for them to surrender all unauthorised firearms.

He said the firearms willingly submitted included 32 single-barrelled guns, four locally-made cut-to-size single-barrelled rifles, eight locally-made single-barrelled guns, three cut-to-size double-barrelled guns and one AK-47 rifle.

Others are one double-barrelled gun, one English pistol, and one locally-made single-barrelled pistol with two cartridges.

Ado said, “The Kwara State Police Command wishes to inform the public that the enforcement of the mop up and recovery of illegal and prohibited firearms still in possession of such individuals is ongoing.

“Anyone who fails to voluntarily surrender them will be arrested and prosecuted.

“We wish also to inform members of the public of the extension of the date of withdrawal of all police personnel attached to very important persons, government officials, corporate organisations, political office holders, has been extended to April 20, 2018.

“This is to enable the affected officials to reapply for revalidation of the authority through the CP, Kwara State, for IG’s approval.”

punch

Probe Danjuma Now, Afenifere tells Buhari, UN

By

bvichannel1

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March 29, 2018

The Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has called on the United Nations (UN) and President Muhammadu Buhari to launch full-scale investigation into the allegation of bias over herdsmen’s killings leveled against the Nigerian military by a former minister of defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd).

Rising from its special meeting held at the residence of its national leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, Ondo State, on Tuesday, Afenifere described the allegation as ‘weighty and damning’.

The organisation also noted that the allegation by Danjuma could be linked to an ethnic cleansing.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, noted that if not well probed by the UN and President Buhari, such statement by Gen. Danjuma against the military could lead to serious security breaches and lack of trust among various ethnic groups in the country.

The group expressed dismay that nobody had been sanctioned or convicted over incessant herdsmen’s attacks on farmers across the country.

According to the Yoruba leaders, President Buhari must be more decisive in dealing with security issues, hence the need for the Federal Government to investigate and bring to book any military officer found to be compromising in Benue, Taraba killings and other parts of the country.

The meeting was attended by Yoruba leaders from Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi, Lagos and Oyo states including Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Olu Falae, Basorun Sehinde Arogbofa and Chief Mojisoluwa Akinfehinwa.

Others were the former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Sen. Iyiola Omisore and Prof. Tunde Adeniran, among others.

Source : Sun

Breaking News: Police declares Dino Melaye wanted

By

Queen Madu

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March 28, 2018

The police on Wednesday declared Dino Melaye, a senator from Kogi State, wanted.

The lawmaker was declared wanted alongside Mohammed Audu, son of a former governor of the state, Abubakar Audu.

Police said the duo have also been placed on Interpol watch list for allegedly providing false information to the police in relation to an alleged attempt on Mr. Melaye’s life last year.

The announcement was made in a statement signed by Kogi police commissioner, Ali Janga, and distributed by the Force Headquarters Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Melaye had earlier written to the Inspector-General Ibrahim Idris stating his intention to submit himself to the police for investigation.

But the senator attached a condition that the case must only be handled in Abuja and not in Lokoja or anywhere in Kogi State, saying Governor Yahaya Bello has control of law enforcement agencies in the state.

The senator also wrote to the U.S. Embassy, the British High Commission and other foreign missions over the weekend, alleging attempt by the police to hurt him.

While he was being declared wanted shortly before noon Wednesday, Mr. Melaye was on the floor of the Senate during which he lambasted the police again and alleged conspiracy against him.

The police declared him wanted as they were announcing the disappearance of some suspects who allegedly indicted Mr. Melaye last week from custody. The police said they escaped Wednesday morning and declared them wanted while also announcing pending investigation of all officers on duty at the time of the escape.

Mr. Melaye said the police are plotting a cover-up by either killing the suspects or orchestrating their escape.

“I will sue the IGP for intimidation, abuse of power, harassment and mental assault if these 2 suspects are not produced dead or alive,” Mr. Melaye said on the floor of the Senate according to a transcript of Wednesday’s proceeding provided on the Senate’s Twitter handle.

Details later…

Trump gives Liberians one year quit Notice to leave USA

By

Queen Madu

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March 28, 2018

US President Donald Trump decided Tuesday to end the protected status of thousands of Liberian migrants to the United States and gave them a year to leave the country.

It’s the latest of similar moves, after more than 250,000 Salvadorans, Haitians and Nicaraguans lost their protected status under an administration which has made cracking down on immigration a priority.

In 1991, when the West African country was in the grip of civil war, some Liberians living in the US were given “temporary protected status” to allow them to remain in safety.

Then in 1999 approximately 10,000 of them were made eligible for “deferred enforced departure,” or DED, by then-president Bill Clinton, allowing them to continue to build new lives.

Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have periodically renewed the DED status, but Trump has now decided to allow it to expire, deeming Liberia safe for returnees.

Trump has taken a tough stance on immigration in general and, in reported private conversations, an even tougher stance on Africans from what he has reportedly deemed “shithole countries.”

The latest grace period expires on March 31, but Trump said in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security that he would accord the Liberians a 12-month “wind-down” period to prepare their departure.

“Through consultation with appropriate executive departments and agencies and my advisors, I have been informed that conditions in Liberia have improved,” Trump wrote.

“Liberia is no longer experiencing armed conflict and has made significant progress in restoring stability and democratic governance,” he argued.

Trump admitted that the 2014 outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa had brought “tragic loss of life and economic damage” to Liberia, one of the world’s poorest countries after years of civil war.

But he declared himself satisfied with Liberia’s progress in tackling the disease.

It is not clear how many of the original 10,000 DED recipients may have died, moved on voluntarily or been granted another form of legal US residency — but the rest face an uncertain future.

Opponents of Trump’s move warned it would uproot many who had made new and productive lives for themselves in the United States.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, noted on Twitter that, thanks to the previous presidents’ DED extensions, the Liberians had been living in the United States legally since 1992.

“Many work in Minnesota hospitals and nursing homes,” she wrote. “I won’t give up this fight. We have a year.”

punch

IPOB: ICC to investigate the Unlawful killings in ‘Operation Python Dance’

By

Queen Madu

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March 28, 2018

The International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague has said it will investigate the September 2017 invasion of a community in Abia State by soldiers of the Nigerian Army during a military exercise code-named Operation Python Dance 2 (Egwu Eke Abuo).

The Office of the Prosecutor, ICC, stated this in response to a petition filed to the court by a Nigerian journalist, Ahaoma Kanu, following the military occupation of Afara Ukwu community in Umuahia, Abia State, in a bid to arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, which led to the killing of several unarmed members of the group.

In the letter obtained by Daily Sun with reference number OTP-CR-413/17 dated March 20, 2018, which is the second response by the court to the petitioner, it was confirmed that the military invasion and deaths recorded were already under preliminary examination by the Office of the Prosecutor.

Part of the letter signed by Mark Dillon, head of the information and evidence unit at the Office of the Prosecutor, read: “Accordingly, your communication will be analysed in this context, with the assistance of other related communications and other available information.”

The Federal Government had proscribed the IPOB even as its members came under attack by security agencies in the country, including the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS) and the police, leading to the alleged extra-judicial killing of hundreds of IPOB members since 2015 when Kanu was arrested on charges of treason.

After the September 16, 2017, attack on his country home, Kanu and his aged father have not been seen till date, fuelling speculations he was being held by the state.

However, following petitions by civil rights groups, the ICC commenced and concluded preliminary investigations into the alleged killing of over 200 members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in December 2015 as well as opened preliminary investigations into the killing of members of the IPOB by the Army in October 2015.

The petitioner, in his petition of September 24, 2017, to the ICC, called for an investigation and prosecution of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, and all members of the Nigerian Army involved in the extra-judicial killings of IPOB members during the Operation Python Dance 2 exercise.

Dillon stated that “under Article 53 of the Rome Statutes, the prosecutor must consider whether there is reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the court have been committed, the gravity of the crimes, whether national systems are investigating and prosecuting the relevant crimes, and the interests of justice.”

He went further to say that “analysis will be carried out as expeditiously as possible, but please be aware that meaningful analysis of these factors can take some time.”

He further promised to provide reasons for any decision reached by the court to proceed with the investigation.

It was the second time that the ICC would exchange correspondences with the petitioner on the killings in Abia State by the Nigerian military.

Afara Ukwu community recently said it would require about N500 million from the Federal Government to cleanse its land reportedly desecrated by the military invasion,

source: the sun

My husband cast a spell on me, Forces me to sleep with another man- Woman tells Court

By

Queen Madu

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March 26, 2018

A five-year-marriage is on the brink of collapse as Mrs. Musilimat Olasuyi told an Igando Customary Court in Lagos that her husband, Oluwagbemiga, permitted another man to sleep with her in their matrimonial home.

The 48-year-old trader told the court on Monday that the man made love to her in her matrimonial home with her husband’s approval.

“It was not my fault.

“ I did not voluntarily submit myself but the man in question charmed me to make love to me with my husband’s agreement all because of his selfish ambition,” she said.

The petitioner said that her husband threw her belongings out of her matrimonial home during her absence during which the money she kept (over N800, 000) kept inside her different boxes were stolen.

“I went to the hospital to take care of my daughter from my first marriage, who suffered from a gas explosion.

“There, I was told that my husband came with some boys to our matrimonial home to pack all my belongings outside.

“After some days; I came home and I discovered that all my boxes and bags had been ransacked; some were missing and my money was stolen.

“My jewellery valued at N250, 000 and the N250, 000 was given to me by my son-in-law to start the construction works on his landed property close to us were missing.

“Also, N100,000 for my customer’s cassava (garri), N250,000 being our mosque’s money kept in my custody and N30,000 my trading money got missing.’’

Musilimat submitted a written petition to the court seeking redress and judicial actions against her husband.

The estranged wife wanted to know if it was proper for her husband to throw her property out without an order from the court.

She also demanded to know if her husband would not be liable for the cost of her lost money and property.

The petitioner was also requesting the court to know if her husband should not pay for the inconvenience as she and the only child of the marriage are homeless.

She pleaded with the court to dissolve the union saying that she no longer loves her husband.

However, the petitioner’s husband, Oluwagbemiga, accused his wife of infidelity.

“My wife does not have respect for her marriage vow, she makes love to her concubine on our matrimonial bed.”

The 55-year-old sand supplier also said that his wife was fetish.

“My wife is diabolical, she comes home with different charms and objects; she gave me a soap on nine consecutive times to bath with.”

According to him, he had given his wife a three-month quit notice to vacate his house but she refused.

“I gave her a quit notice to leave my house; she told me to do my worse that she was going nowhere.

“So, I do not have any other option than to pack her things out from my house,” he said.

The respondent consented to the dissolution of marriage, saying the love between the two of them had long faded.

Responding to Musilimat’s petition, the court’s president, Mr. Akin Akinniyi, said that it was wrong in a valid marriage for a husband to pack out his wife’s belongings from their matrimonial home.

“It is legally wrong for a man to throw out his wife’s property.

“The respondent should have requested for the return of the dowry he paid on the wife from the wife’s parents.

“Better still, he should have sought the dissolution of the marriage at the court of law before such an action could take place.

“The husband should have rented another apartment for the petitioner and the child since he does not want her again.

“He should have moved her belongings there for safe custody, before the petitioner’s return.

“The husband will be responsible for any cost of missing valuables and the wife is entitled to compensation,’’ he said.

Akinniyi urged the estranged couple to maintain peace and adjourned the case until April 26 for judgment.

Source: punch

Angry mob kills Armed robbers in Enugu

By

Queen Madu

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March 26, 2018

Two dreaded armed bandits in Adani, Uzo-Uwani Council Area of Enugu State have been killed.

The hoodlums were said to have been overpowered by their victim when they allegedly attempted to rob.

It was gathered that the two robbery kingpins, identified as Okeme alias Pikin and Philip a.k.a Akwara, said to belong to Ndi Isewo Group of Abbi, have been terrorising members of the public within Abbi, Adani and Uzo -Uwani axis.

Confirming the incident, the state police Spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said the suspected hoodlums met their waterloo in the hands of irate mob last week when they “emerged from the bush in their usual way to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens. Unfortunately for them, they were resisted by their victim who raised the alarm.

According to the PPRO, “the alarm raised attracted the attention of angry mob from the community, who immediately pursued and intercepted them.

“The mob allegedly beat up the hoodlums, inflicting various degrees of injuries on them before operatives could arrive the scene. They were promptly rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention by the police operatives, but were later confirmed dead,” Amaraizu said.

The spokesman of the police further disclosed that the deceased hoodlums were members of the dreaded Malaysia forest “who have been operating from the bush to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens and were on the wanted list of the command.

“Their remains have been deposited at a hospital mortuary in the area,” Amaraizu said.

source: the sun