The Lagos state government has filed an amended charge before a Lagos high court in Igbosere against Richard Nyong, managing director of Lekki Gardens Estate Limited.

The charges were filed over alleged negligence in the events leading to the collapse of a building in Lekki area of the state on March 10, 2016.

The state government, through the office of Adeniji Kazeem, the attorney-general and commissioner for justice, had filed charges against Nyong and others before Sybil Nwaka, a justice, over the building collapse which reportedly claimed 34 lives.

RELATED: Tackling Causes Of Frequent Building Collapse In Nigeria

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Wednesday, June 14, 2017, Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the state’s director of public prosecution (DPP), informed the court of the amended charge dated June 13, 2017, and additional proof of evidence filed against the defendants, saying that all the defendants have since been duly served.

Aside Nyong, other defendants are Sola Olumofe, an executive director of Lekki Gardens; Odofin Henry Taiwo, Omolabake Mortune, Omotilewa Oluwatosin Joseph of Get Too Rich Investment Limited and HC Insight Solution Limited.

Earlier, Olumofe’s lawyer, George Oguntade (SAN) apologised on behalf of his client for failure to previously appear in court, a development which led to the judge issuing bench warrant against him at the last adjourned date.

Oguntade said Olumofe was in United Kingdom receiving treatment for type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol as at the time the bench warrant was issued against him, and that he flew into the country to present himself for trial.

The lawyer, however, gave a firm commitment that his client would not travel outside the country until the matter against him is concluded.

Oguntade also moved an application urging the court to quash the charge against Olumofe on the grounds that the criminal charge disclosed no prima facie case against him, and that the prosecution failed to invite him for questioning before the charge was filed.

Responding to the application, the state’s DPP (Shitta-Bey) urged the court to dismiss the application on the account of the fact that it was baseless.

Contrary to Oguntade’s contention, Shitta-Bey said even Olumofe admitted in his supporting affidavit that there was nexus between him and the matter, being the lead technical professional in the making of decisions with respect to the construction of the collapsed building.

She added that aside the fact that the attorney-general has the constitutional duty to file criminal charge against anyone reasonable suspected to have committed a crime, the said Olumofe was invited by the police and the building collapse prevention guild set up by government to investigate the matter, but he failed to present himself for questioning.

After entertaining the arguments for and against the application, Nwaka said there was need to hear the case expeditiously, and thereby adjourned to June 29, 2017 for ruling and arraignment.

Tragedy had struck on 10 March, 2016 when a six-storey building under construction by Lekki Gardens in Lekki area of the state collapsed. Eighteen people were confirmed dead.

The developer was said to have added additional floor to the building against what was approved by government for construction.

Specifically, the defendants are facing six-count charges for failure to obtain building approval for the collapsed building and involuntary manslaughter, offences contrary to and punishable under Section 75 (1) of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of Lagos State 2010, and Section 229 of Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 respectively.

The government also listed some of the victims to include William Akpati, Kazeem Ilesanmi, Raphael Ezeh, Saminu Umar, and Sunday Ezeh.

Nigeria’s Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 met with Southeast governors and other leaders of thought from the region and urged them not to be tempted into a tit-for-tat amid hate speeches across the country.

In his opening remarks at the meeting with the leaders of thought held at the old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, Osinbajo urged them to always speak out against hate speeches and comments capable of polarizing the country along ethnic, sectional and religious lines.

He stated that the meeting was “very urgent and crucial’’ because of the current loud voices of hate speeches and divisive comments resonating across the country, stressing that the situation required urgent attention from all concerned.

According to him, this is not the time to hide under any ethnic or religious platform to support comments that divide rather than unite us as a nation.

He, therefore, urged leaders to raise their voices against the present strident divisive speeches in the country, saying that “violence pays no one”.

“Violence and war are not going to do anyone any good. Wars today hardly end. No one who has seen the face of wars even on television who wish it for anyone,” Professor Osinbajo said.

“We should not tolerate hate speeches or divisive comments.’’

The acting president reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to deal with any trouble maker who threaten the peaceful coexistence of Nigeria.

“Their is no doubt on the resolve of government to allow anyone get away with hate speeches and divisive words.

“Our emotion should not be allowed to run wide so as to threaten the existence of anyone anywhere in Nigeria.

“We will do everything within our power to protect the lives of every citizen anywhere and in any part of the country.’’

He thanked the leaders for their prompt response to the consultative meeting.

Those who attended the meeting included the Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Gov. Willy Obiano of Anambra and Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo.

Others included Chief of staff to the president Abba Kyari, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, NSA, chief of defence staff, service chiefs, Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and ministers.

Former Senate President Ken Nmamani, Senator Eyinaya Abaribe, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Catholic Awka Bishop Okoye, Igwebike Onah Catholic archbishop of Nsuka, Senator Joy Emordi, Prof. Viola Nwuleri also attended the meeting.

It would be recalled that the acting president on Tuesday began consultations with leaders of thought from the North and warned that the government would deal decisively with persons who make hate speeches or attempt to disrupt the peace of the country.

The meeting was sequel to the calls for secession by youth from different ethnic groups in the country resulting in some asking others to vacate their enclave before Oct. 1.

The acting president noted that that was not what the country desired at this time and urged those involved to desist or face the full weight of law.

Leave The North By October 1 – Arewa Groups Warn Igbos

A coalition of prominent groups in Northern Nigeria on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 issued an ultimatum to Igbos living in the north to return home by October 1, 2017 or else they will face a situation similar to the pre-civil war pogroms visited on their kin in the 1960s.

The order was contained in an error-ridden statement, obtained by The Trent, issued after a meeting in Kaduna State. The groups, Arewa Citizens Action for Change, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Arewa Students Forum, and the Northern Emancipation Network, asked the Igbo residing in the region to “start making plans to leave.”

The chilling statement condemned the renewed call for the independent republic of Biafra and also expressed disdain for the Igbos and their culture saying that “the Igbo people of the South-East, not repentant of the carnage it wrought on the nation in 1966,  is today boldly reliving those sinister intentions connoted by the Biafran agitation that led to the very first bloody insurrection in Nigeria’s history”.

In 1966, the Igbos were the victims of the largest genocide in Nigeria’s history with over 100,000 of them killed in Northern Nigeria by northern mobs. This pogrom led to the declaration of the Republic of Biafra which led to the Nigerian civil war in which over 3 million Igbos died.

The northern groups’ threat to Igbos is now widely referred to as the Kaduna Declaration and has been widely condemned by public officials and political groups. However, it has also received wide support from northern elements like Professor Abdullahi.

Additional reports by the News Agency of Nigeria.

A Lagos High Court, Igbosere, on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 vacated the order for the arrest of Shola Olumofe, the second defendant in the trial of 10 people charged with negligence following the collapse of a five-storey building at Lekki, on 1March 8, 2016.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five persons were reportedly killed in the accident.

Other defendants are Richard Nyong, the managing director of Lekki Gardens Estate Ltd; Henry Odofin, Molabake Mortune, Omotilewa Joseph, and Marius Agwu.

The following companies — Lekki Gardens Estate Ltd, Get Too Rich Investment Ltd, HC Insight Solutions Ltd and Artech Insignia Ltd — are also defendants in the suit.

NAN reports that on May 24, when the case was first brought for arraignment, other defendants excluding Olumofe, were in court.

His counsel, Richard Ahonaruogho, however, challenged the inclusion of Olumofe as defendant in a six-count charge bordering on failure to obtain building permit and involuntary manslaughter brought against them.

He also urged the court to allow the absence of Olumofe until his application challenging the jurisdiction of the court was heard and determined.

Justice Sybil Nwaka after listening to all the arguments, however issued a warrant for his arrest.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Counsel to Olumofe, Mr G. M. Oguntade (SAN), who replaced Ahonaruogho, urged the court to vacate the bench warrant issued on Olumofe.

He told the court that Olumofe was sick and was in London for treatment.

Oguntade also urged the court to hear his preliminary application, just as he wanted the court to quash the charge.

The lawyer urged the court to strike out Olumofe’s name from the charge, adding that the second defendant’s name was wrongly joined in the charge.

He said that the charge did not disclose any prima facie case against Olumofe.

“The proof of evidence does not disclose any case against the second defendant.

“Uptill now, the second defendant has never been invited by the police to make any statement about this case.

“It is our submission that the failure to take the statement of my client is fatal to this charge brought before the court,” Oguntade said.

In response to Oguntade’s argument, Mr T. K. Shitta-Bey, the State Director for Public Prosecutions (DPP) did not oppose the application for the bench warrant to be vacated.

Shitta-Bey, however, told the court that she filed a 19-paragraph affidavit opposing the preliminary objection of the second defendant.

She said the right to object to an information or charge filed could not be activated until the prosecution closed its case.

“The right to fair hearing becomes activated during trial and not during investigation.”

The DPP also told the court that the prosecutory powers of the Attorney-General was not subject to any other investigative agency including the police.

She, therefore. said the right of a suspect to remain silent during investigation did not mean that a charge could not be brought against him.

“I submit that when an AG is armed with sufficient materials against a defendant, he does not need to engage the police or any other agency,” the prosecutor said.

Earlier, the DPP made an application and amended the charge removing the names of two defendants from the charge.

She said that the names of the sixth defendant, Marius Agwu and the 10th defendants, Artech Insigna Ltd, were no longer included in the charge.

Justice Nwaka after listening to all the argument vacated the bench warrant issued against the second defendant.

She said, “bench warrant placed on the second defendant, Olumofe, on June 1, is hereby discharged.”

He adjourned until June 29 for ruling on the preliminary application and for arraignment.

RELATED: Tackling Causes of frequent Building Collapse in Nigeria

Meanwhile, The Lagos state government has filed an amended charge before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere against Richard Nyong, the Lekki Gardens Estate Ltd MD.

The charges were filed over alleged negligence in the events leading to the collapse of a building in Lekki area of the state on March 10, 2016.

The state government, through the office of the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, had filed charges against Nyong and others before Justice Sybil Nwaka.

A Jesuit priest, Samuel Okwuidegbe has recounted his experience in the camp of suspected Fulani herdsmen, who abducted him on Benin-Asaba highway, while on his way to a retreat in Onitsha, Anambra state.

The story which was published on the website of the Jesuit Superiors of Africa and Madagascar, Okwuidegbe, director of a local spirituality center, joked about kidnappers with Chuks Afiawari, one of his colleagues.

“Make sure where you are going they don’t kidnap you,” Afiawari had told Okwuidegbe, who said he laughed about it.

Little did the priests know that the joke would be an unfortunate foreshadowing of what was to come in a testimony posted.

Okwuidegbe recalled how his faith carried him through a traumatic and harrowing experience of kidnapping.

He took the seemingly safe highway on which he had travelled many times on the day of his abduction and was surprised when he heard gunshots.

“On glancing back I saw all the vehicles behind me stopping, and trying to reverse … that’s when it hit me that there was something dangerous ahead of me,” he recalled.

“On looking up I saw masked men with AK47 rifles shooting. I was so scared. I also stopped my car abruptly and began to reverse, but as I was trying to do that, a man suddenly appeared … and said, ‘If you don’t get out of the car I’ll shoot you.’”

According to TheCable, the priest could see behind him that the men had also stopped another car and had forced two men out of it. In a hurry, he left his phone in the car.

He quickly identified the armed kidnappers as herdsmen, a violent group whose clashes with farmers have killed thousands of people in Nigeria over the past two decades.

According to the Global Terrorism Index, they were the fourth most deadly terrorist group in the world in 2014.

The kidnappers led Okwuidegbe and the other two men into the forest at gunpoint for eight hours, barely stopping for breaks.

They eventually let one of the two other men go, because he could not keep up with the pace, but they first cut his feet so that he could not escape quickly, Okwuidegbe recalled.

“The pace in the forest was jogging, jumping over tree trumps, going over leaves, which often cut through our skin. So it was quite brutal!” Okwuidegbe said.

“I was so shaken, and began to ask myself, is this happening to me? What am I doing in this forest? What am I doing here? I felt extremely cold and in my confusion … I’d mutter to myself, this can’t be happening, God. This can’t be happening.”

The captors started questioning Okwuidegbe and the other man, and were suspicious when he identified himself as a priest; they thought he might be a government spy. They stripped him of all his belongings – his watch, wallet, and rosary.

When they questioned him about his phone, the captors were enraged that he had left it in his car – which was fortunate, the priest said because he had saved financial information from his work on it.

The militants asked him if he could remember anyone’s number – someone to call who could negotiate for his life and pay off the herdsmen.

Traumatised by his experience, he could not remember one phone number.

“That triggered a series of beatings…they huddled me up, hands and feet tied to the back with a rope like a goat before a kill. They removed my cassock, then my shirt, threw me into the dirt on the ground, and began to beat me with the back of their guns, they’d kick me hard on my sides, slap across my face, push and pull me hard across the ground…one of them said ‘We are going to burn you alive!’” the priest recalled.

“I really believed that they were going to do it…I began to pray in silence…I said, ‘God, I commit to you, I commit my spirit’ and I resigned to the thought of my fate, that I was going to die that day.’”

Finally, the beating stopped. Okwuidegbe said he remembered praying constantly through the whole experience.

“I hoped for a miracle…every minute I’d pray saying all kinds of prayers, I’d pray to Saint Ignatius, say the rosary and the Divine Mercy (chaplet)…at one time I found myself singing heartily but in the inside, a Ghanaian song that says ‘God speak to me…God where are you?’ I kept humming in my heart…it gave me hope,” he said.

Eventually, Okwuidegbe was able to get the phone number of another Jesuit priest through the contact of the other man in captivity. This priest, Jude Odiaka, Jesuit provincial, began negotiations with the herdsmen.

And while at times he prayed for death, Okwuidegbe said he felt better once he had made contact with the Jesuits.

“I knew that word must have gotten around about the kidnapping, and that the sisters at the retreat centre and people who knew me all over, must have been praying for me.”

The other man who had been captured with Okwuidegbe also was a great comfort, he recalled.

“…the guy I was kidnapped with…he was a grace for me, a gift from God. I hope I was too for him because we exchanged words of encouragement silently, as we were not allowed to talk to each (other).”

Finally, the captors seemed to have got what they wanted and started talking about letting the men go.

“I intensified my prayers and I prayed to God ‘Please God, make this end well,’” he said.

“I recalled a saying that ‘God will not bring you this far, then abandon you’, so this brought some assurance to my heart,”

When the militants decided to release the men, they were left to wander alone together through the forest, trying to find the pathway out. Eventually, they were able to make it to safety and back home.

While the experience was “painful and traumatising,” Okwuidegbe said one of the best consolations upon his return was hearing from many people, near and far, that they had been praying for him.

“In all these things God revealed to me that I was never abandoned while in the forest, even if I was out of reach and in danger, that God heard the prayers and was with me,” he said.

“It has renewed my faith in God, my faith in people…the human person, God’s gift of friendship and that if what I do matters, then also those people I do it with are also very important.”

Okwuidegbe said he also plans to use his experience to help other people in his work as a counselor.

“This has also given me an understanding to accompany those who come to me for help seeking solace, encouragement, strength, hope, renewal…you know…maybe that’s why it happened,” he said.

“I’m going to use it in my work as a counselor, psychologist and help those who come to me for help, because what support can be given to people that have been kidnapped? What help can we give such people? I think I have become part of that help with what I have received, and experienced.”

Read more at TheCable.

The federal government’s witness billed to testify against the former national security adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) in the charge of unlawful possession of firearms and money-laundering brought against since 2015 are to give evidence behind the screen.

The screens are to be provided by the Federal High Court in Abuja where the ex-NSA is to be prosecuted on the charge.

The witnesses would however not be shielded from lawyers that would be in the court throughout the trial.

Justice Ahmed Rahmat Mohammed granted the request of the federal government to allow government witnesses to testify behind the screen.

In his ruling, in a motion on notice argued by Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN) Justice Mohammed said that the request for the witnesses to testify behind the screen was granted because part of the charges against Dasuki has to do with money-laundering.

The Judge said that although a similar request had been presented before the court in 2015 and rejected by the court but however hinted that the decision to allow the use of screen was granted because of the nature of the case of the charge.

He said that the fresh motion, argued by Okpeseyi didn’t constitute abuse of court process because the prayers in the old and the fresh one were not the same.

Besides, the Judge said that Section 232 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 permitted the use of screen when charges have to do with the Economic Crimes as in the instant case.

The government through Okpeseyi had insisted that Dasuki, being a former military officer, former aide de camp (ADC) to a former President, former NSA and a crown prince of Sokoto caliphate was a potential threat to its witnesses lined up to justify the charges against him.

The federal government had urged Justice Mohammed to allow the screening of the witnesses in order to guarantee their safety after their evidence in court.

Okpeseyi told the court that the witnesses who are operatives of the Department of Security Service (DSS) carry out their works across the country and could be attacked by sympathisers and well- wishers of Dasuki unless their identifiers are protected.

The counsel submitted that Dasuki was once the boss of the witnesses and that they (witnesses) could be jeopardised unless their names are not placed at the public domain adding that the ex-NSA will not be prejudiced in any way if the request for the witness protection is granted.

“This application for witness protection will not in any way take away the right of the defendant (Dasuki) to see the witness and cross-examining them in their evidence as required by law” Okpeseyi argued adding that a witness who once testified in the matter was involved in a mysterious ghastly accident.

However, counsel to Dasuki Mr. Ahmed Raji SAN had described the government bid as a cheap blackmail against his client and urged the court to dismiss the request for being speculative, baseless and unmeritorious.

Raji said that the ex-NSA was not charged with terrorism offence to warrant protection for any witness adding that several operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have testified against Dasuki in two other courts without any complaint of a threat to their lives.

Meanwhile, the court has adjourned trial until September 20-21, 2017

Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Nigeria’s chief of naval staff, has approved a major re-organisation of the upper echelons of the Nigerian Navy,” a statement issued on Thursday, June 15, 2017 signed by Suleman Dahun, the acting director of information for the Nigerian Navy, says.

In a major posting of senior officers, 21 rear admirals were affected.

“The new Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command is Rear Admiral SAG Abbah, formerly Navy Secretary while Rear Admiral VO Adedipe, formerly Deputy Commandant Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, moves to Eastern Naval Command as Flag Officer Commanding,” the e-mailed statement to The Trent said.

“Rear Admiral PA Onaji, formerly Fleet Commander Eastern Fleet, has been appointed Flag Officer Commanding Logistics Command, while Rear Admiral OF Ofodile, formerly Chief Staff Officer Eastern Naval Command is now Flag Officer Commanding Naval Training Command.

“Furthermore, Rear Admiral AB Al-Hassan, formerly Director Project Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, is the new Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command.

“Rear Admiral SMD Usman, formerly Chief Staff Officer Logistics Command moves to Naval Headquarters as Director Project Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate.

“Rear Admiral HA Babalola retains his appointment as Chief of Policy and Plans Naval Headquarters, while Rear Admiral JO Oluwole, formerly Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command resumes at Naval Headquarters as Chief of Logistics.

“The reshuffling also affected Rear Admiral AA Osinowo, formerly Chief of Training and Operations Naval Headquarters, who is now the Commandant National Defence College, while Rear Admiral FD Bobai, formerly Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, moves to Naval Headquarters as Chief of Training and Operations.

“Rear Admiral BEE Ibe-Enwo, formerly Flag Officer Commanding Logistics Command, resumes at the Naval Headquarters as Chief of Naval Standards and Safety, while Rear Admiral IO Mohammed, formerly Flag Officer Commanding Naval Training Command, is now appointed Deputy Commandant Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji.

“Rear Admiral T Dick, formerly Chief of Logistics has been re-appointed Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters, while Rear Admiral MA Emuekpere, formerly Director of Naval Intelligence is now Chief Staff Officer Western Naval Command. Rear Admiral NP Aliyu, formerly Chief Staff Officer Naval Training Command moves to DIA as Director of Logistics, while Rear Admiral SI Enoch, formerly Chief Staff Officer Central Naval Command, has been appointed Director of Search and Rescue at the Defence Headquarters.

“Rear Admiral MM Kadiri, formerly Commandant Naval War College, is now the Navy Secretary, while Rear Admiral TC Udofia, formerly Chief Staff Officer Western Naval Command, resumes as Commandant Naval War College.

“Rear Admiral OH Ngalabak, formerly Fleet Commander Central Fleet, has been appointed Director of Operations Naval Headquarters while Rear Admiral FF Ogu, formerly Director Manning Naval Headquarters, resumes as Chief Staff Officer Central Naval Command.

“Rear Admiral AZ Gambo, formerly Director of Search and Rescue Defence Headquarters, resumes as Chief Staff Officer Naval Training Command,” the statement ended.

This follows a similar shakeup in the Nigerian Army, which is believed to be a move to preempt a military coup in light of the leadership vacuum in Nigeria.

PadMan Initiative on Thursday, June 8, 2017 hosted by Tracka celebrated a ‘5in1 Event’ by commemorating; Menstrual Hygiene Day (May28), World Environment Day ( June 5), UN’s Barbershop Conference, Side Event of the European Development Day and Lagos at 50 creating a new advocacy drive for Eco-Friendly Menstrual Hygiene Kit in its flagship programme for investment in School Girls and empowering the school boys using the tools for barbershop conference “Act Like a Man- Act Like a Woman”.

About the initiative, Chaste Inegbedion, chief responsibility officer of Giving Garage and convener of PadMan, said, “The goal of the initiative is to is to empower 232,000 schoolgirls within public schools within the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria by 2020 through provision of Eco-friendly reusable pads and capacity building on menstrual hygiene management and reproductive health for improved performance and self-esteem.”

“With this announcement, we are engaging the media, private sector, International Agencies and the Digital ecosystem, which is like everywhere else and maybe even more than elsewhere carries with it a development challenge most especially our participation at Merit 360 (www.merit360.org) in the United Kingdom,” he continued.

Tracka was established to address the critical issues with social and economic development in Nigeria, which is lack of the people inclusion in developmental projects, increasing number of abandoned projects and poor execution of the few projects implemented and now they are adding their voice to the works of Pad Man Initiative

Tracka.ng is BudgIT’s (www.yourbudgit.com) intervention vehicle for driving-transparency-citizen-engagement-and-accountability.

A dedicated team from Plethora Works, The Girls Show, Sanitary Aid for Nigerian Girls, Global Shapers, Mandela Washington Fellowship, One Smile Foundation and National Youth Service Corps Sanitation CDs facilitated the session with the Students moderated by Akinlaja Oludare of Yadaversity.

“We can’t leave out the men and the boys. They are a big part of the problem. If there is violence, most likely there is a man around,” Mr. Inegbedion said.

“We always shout about the drought of leadership but quality education is that bridge to building quality leaders.

“The Barbershop event is a response to an invitation to men to join in the gender equality conversation hoping it will build on the HeForShe campaign in Nigeria which has so far encouraged 204,978 men to pledge their support to the cause globally and we are glad to have led the session with Male Corps from the Sanitation CDS from Ikoyi/Obalende LG venue for the event where three schools was represented Girls Senior Secondary Grammar School, Ireti Boys and Aunty Ayo”- Akinboye Akinpelumi President, NYSC Sanitation CDS

Seun Kuti, Youngest Son of Legendary Afro Beat Originator, Fela Anikulapo Kuti said he was pleased to see men “stepping up their efforts to address their role in gender equality”. But, he added: “I ask the School boys at the Barbershop conference to think about what they can do to help resource the hands that do the heavy lifting when it comes to gender equality. Women’s hands, that is.”

He shared on the importance of focusing on Education and why they should concentrate in class. He shared on how he was very focus on his education as a teenager.

The event attracted criticism when it was first mooted with the idea for Eco-Friendly Pads. Many believe that the washable pads are not hygienic and that Men in Menstruation Matters would do little to change the status quo.

“A lot can be said in favor of creating spaces where a group of people who share similar problems can meet, feel at ease, and safely talk about what affects them. This reflects the themes for this year World Menstrual Hygiene Day is on Education for Menstruation Changes Everything and World Environment Day is Connecting to Nature which gave birth to the hashtag of the event #Pad4Nature to equip them with Eco-friendly reusable pads made from high-performance materials and provide effective protection for more than 12 months of use.” –  Pastor Sharon Ajide (2013 FALA STAR PRIZE WINNER) she is also collaborating with the Pad Man to provide 1000 sanitary towel to teenage girls in Makoko Community

Though the 50-day celebration ended on May 27, the organizer also commemorated the celebration of the State’s Golden Jubilee which would continue throughout the year with series of festivals and events as a side event of the European Development Days #EDD17 which held on the same day with the Hour of Hygiene of Pad Man at Brussels was moderated by Lagos Global Shaper, Toluwase Olaniyan and Akinlaja Oludare President Yadaversity calling on the Governor of Lagos to invest in proper curriculum development and in the welfare of quality teachers as the theme of EDD17 was Investment in Development.

Ayokunmi Ogunnaiya said, “We are delighted by the turnout and the support of so many leading institutions and individuals who have embraced our vision to empower School Girls regarding their Menstrual Hygiene and School Boys on Gender Equality. We will certainly be making this a premium event as we have already seen the incredible value it presents.”

We are indeed grateful to Vincent Abiola Fowler, Seun Onigbinde, Rosy Edward, Folake Ajayi ,Hamzat Lawal and Uche Pedro.

PadMan is an initiative of the Giving Garage aimed at getting men to be deliberately involved in issues of humanity especially issues bordering gender equality.

Giving Garage’s PadMan initiative, is adopting the United Nations’ #HeForShe model to encourage men to act in advocating and funding of girl/women causes.

PadMan promotes loudly and unashamedly the role of good Menstrual Hygiene Management in Secondary schools as a trigger for better, stronger development of schoolgirls

The event was covered by Silverbird TV, Boss Newspaper, Bella Naija, Naija PR and ABS Lenses. 

THE SCHOOLS, BRANDS, NON-PROFITS, MEDIA FOR COLLABORATION MAY CONTACT THE PAD MAN INITIATIVE TEAM VIA PADMAN@GIVING-GARAGE.ORG

WWW.GIVING-GARAGE.ORG

FACEBOOK: GIVING GARAGE/PADMAN TWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @CHASTECHARITY

Click on any image to enlarge.

The Federal Ministry of Health is set to launch a 6-months national tobacco control communications campaign in the country.

The campaign, which will be launched today, Thursday, June 15, 2017 in Abuja, follows the announcement by Isaac Adewole, the minister of health, of 9 provisions of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 to be enforced by the Federal Government.

The ‘Tobacco-Free Nigeria’ campaign, aims to educate Nigerians on the NTC Act 2015 and raise awareness on the dangers of tobacco smoke.

“The campaign will leverage on social media and offline interactions to reach young Nigerians, especially second-hand smokers who need to be aware of the ban of smoking in public places and protect themselves.”

The Ministry of Health has appointed Nigerian music superstars, Timi Dakolo and Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, popularly known as Mr. Eazi as well as a young influential leader, Miss Saadatu Hamu Aliyu of the World Economic Forum’s Abuja Global Shapers Hub to leverage their influence with the young people of Nigeria.

World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that tobacco use is currently responsible for the death of about 6 million people annually across the world with 80% of these deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries like Nigeria.

This includes about 600,000 people who are also estimated to die from the effects of second-hand smoke. This campaign is supported by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Washington DC and Gatefield Impact.

The US Embassy and British High Commission in Nigeria have reportedly withdrawn and denied entry visa to some serving and retired Nigerian army officers.

According to ThisDay, this was disclosed in a report of an army panel set up to investigate alleged human rights abuse levelled against the military by an international human rights organisation, Amnesty International.

While presenting the findings at a press conference in Abuja, Nuhu Angbazo, chief of military/civil affairs, had said the army was not guilty of the accusations.

He said though no court of law nor board of enquiry had found the military guilty of human rights abuse, “at least two diplomatic missions either revoked or denied their country entry visas to a number of senior officers.”

He said the senior military officers involved were those in charge of operations in the north-east.

“There were cases of officers whose names did not appear in the allegation but were also denied visas,” he was quoted to have said.

He said that although the panel exonerated the army of any alleged sexual abuse of IDPs in the north-east, it faulted the trial of Boko Haram detainees.

“The board found out that the process determining the legal status of the detainees in all military detention facilities appear to have been left to the Nigerian army alone,” Angbazo reportedly said.

“We note in particular the difficulty encountered by the Nigerian Army in transferring detainees in Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri detention facility to the Maiduguri maximum prisons to ease congestion in the facility.

“The board found that a common feature in all the detention facilities visited was the delay in the legal processing and trial of Boko Haram detainees.”

United State’s President Donald Trump is reportedly being investigated for potential obstruction of justice by the special counsel looking into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. This marks the first time that the ongoing investigation, which has hung over Trump since his inauguration, has potentially implicated the president himself.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday night that the federal probe into the Trump campaign’s ties with Russia during the 2016 campaign, being overseen by Robert Mueller, has now expanded into whether the president attempted to thwart that investigation.

The allegations of obstruction of justice apparently center on Trump’s efforts to encourage former FBI director James Comey to drop an investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Comey testified under oath to Congress last week that Trump told him in a private meeting, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” Trump has since said Comey said things that “weren’t true” while under oath and that he was “100% willing” to testify before Congress.

Flynn, who resigned as national security adviser in February after serving in that position for less than a month, had come under scrutiny for undisclosed conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and then misleading vice-president Mike Pence about the nature of his contacts with the high-ranking Russian official.

Comey was fired in May by Trump and the president cited “this Russia thing” as a reason for the FBI director’s sacking in an interview with NBC News. The White House had initially claimed Comey’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server was the reason for his firing before Trump contradicted his staff’s statements on the topic.

In addition to his alleged attempts to influence Comey, Trump reportedly intervened with Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, in an attempt to ask him to persuade Comey to back off the FBI investigation of Flynn, a close Trump ally. In addition, Trump allegedly asked both Coats and Adm Mike Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency, to issue statements denying evidence that his campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 campaign. Both men reportedly declined to do so.

Both the Post and the New York Times are reporting that Mueller is seeking to interview Coats, Rogers and Richard Ledgett, the former deputy director of the National Security Agency, in an attempt to gain more information about potential efforts by Trump to obstruct justice.

The reported expansion of the investigation comes only days after speculation mounted that the president might fire Mueller, stoked by a television appearance by Trump confidante Chris Ruddy where he said “terminating” the special counsel was under consideration. Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general who would be responsible for making such a decision, told senators on Tuesday that there was “no secret plan” to sack Mueller. However, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters late Tuesday, “While the president has the right to [fire Mueller], he has no intention to do so.”

The White House referred a request for comment on Wednesday to Marc Kasowitz, Trump’s personal attorney. Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Kasowitz, told the Guardian: “The FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal.” In response to a follow up question about whether anything in the Washington Post story was inaccurate, Corallo simply reiterated his previous statement.

Read more at TheGuardian

Despite the revolution in the Nigerian telecommunications industry since the introduction of Global System for Mobile communication in August 2001, 40 million Nigerians live in places where there are no network services, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said.

Umar Danbatta, the executive director of the NCC, made this submission in a lecture titled, The national broadband plan as a catalyst for social and economic transformation: The NCC mandate, at an event organised by the Nigerian Academy of Engineering in Abuja.

According to Danbatta, the 40 million Nigerians reside in 207 communities across the country where gaps in telecommunications services have been identified.

The NCC boss also attributed poor quality of service in the country to neglect of fixed telecommunications services, which had put tremendous pressure on mobile wireless services.

Danbatta said to reduce pressure on the existing lower microwave frequency bands and increase broadband access across the country, the NCC planned to license the 38 GHz and 42 GHz bands, adding that both bands were suitable for short hop and point-to-point terrestrial links.

The bands also support 3G/4G/LTE backhaul and a high degree of frequency reuse due to the high directivity of their antennas.

He said, ‘Currently in Nigeria, more than 10 terabytes of telecommunications capacity exist at the landing point, but the challenge is the deployment of affordable fiber optic infrastructure across the country that will effectively distribute this capacity to the distribution nodes at the metropolitan areas of all regions in the country that will supply sufficient fibre capacity to the backbone.

‘The commission is finalising subsidy agreements with two infrastructure companies, Infraco Nigeria Limited and I-Connect Infrastructure Services Limited, for the Lagos and North Central zones, respectively to facilitate the rollout of broadband services.

‘The remaining five zones, North-East, North-West, South-East, South-South and South-West, are in the pipeline. The subsidy agreement is a Public-Private Partnership scheme in the provision of price regulated broadband services in Nigeria.’

On the socio-economic contribution of telecommunications to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, Danbatta said in the second quarter of 2016, telecommunications contributed N1.58tn, accounting for 9.8 per cent of the nation’s rebased Gross Domestic Product.

It was a negative laughing moment all through in a teleconference room of the team of Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law following the release of the Report of a kangaroo probe panel of the Nigerian Army (Special Board of Inquiry), constituted on March 8, 2017 by the COAS, Lt Gen Yusuf Tukur Buratai to look into grave allegations of widespread/gross human rights abuses in the course of its counter insurgency operations in Northeast Nigeria as well as its undemocratic and unconstitutional involvement and violent crackdown on nonviolent and peaceful assemblies in Southeast and parts of South-South Nigeria.

The grave allegations of gross human rights abuses were contained in special reports issued by leading international and local human rights organizations including Amnesty Int’l, Human Rights Watch, Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law and Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations. Specifically on mass killing and maiming of unarmed and defenseless members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other pro Biafra campaigners; there are at least three special reports from Amnesty Int’l, Human Rights Watch and Intersociety. Intersociety’s report was released on March 12, 2017 and titled: Welcome to Bleeding Republic of Nigeria: a Land Flowing with Blood and Tears.

The sum total of the reports and allied media and research publications has since put the Nigerian Army and its master government or the Buhari Administration at crossroads; forcing same to desperately look for an escape route as well as other crooked and mischievous means of impunity. Internationally and diplomatically, serious concerns have been raised leading to serious debates and temporarily stoppage or suspension of sale of a number of strategic weapons of war to Nigeria and non issuance of travel visas to a number of serving and retired Nigerian senior military and other security personnel by US and UK.

The present Federal Government’s official policy of falsehood, propaganda and smear campaigns has also been heavily brought to bear as an escape strategy, leading to hiring of rented crowds to demonstrate against Amnesty Int’l, etc. Some conformist writers, “NGOs” and uninformed legal opinions have been procured as well by key elements within the Nigerian Army to further demonize and castrate the referenced reports. Totality of these has been marked with colossal failure.

As if these failed efforts were not enough, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai hastily and questionably constituted a board comprising veteran and serving members of the Nigerian Army to investigate itself. The Nigerian Army, following our criticism and total rejection of the constituted board and its militarist and lopsided composition; later brought in an amenable staff of the integrity crisis ridden National Human Rights Commission, named Barr Tony Ojukwu and another named Barr Olawole Fapohunda to give same a (failed) legitimacy outlook. The integrity and independence challenged Nigerian Army’s Special Board of Inquiry (SBOI) concluded its watery and partiality ridden assignment and submitted it on May 31, 2017, leading to its release to the media on June 15, 2017.

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The major fatality of the said Army’s Special Board of Inquiry and its findings is its gross incoherent and inconsistency with the fundamental principle of natural justice; rested on its twin pillars famously expressed in Latin as; nemo judex in causa sua and audi alterem partem which has its English translation to mean; no one should be a judge in his own case and hear the both parties. Any fact finding or criminal finding rested outside the confines of the foregoing is of no effect, null and void.

Specifically, we had on March 9, 2017 issued a detailed statement rejecting in its entirety the setting up of the Nigerian Army and its COAS (Lt Gen Turkur Buratai)’s Special Board of Inquiry to look into gross rights abuses of the Army under complaint. Our major ground for rejection of the Army’s kangaroo panel was rested on its gross inconsistency with the above named two pillars of natural justice.

We had insisted and still insist that the Nigerian Army can never be allowed to be a judge in its own case or in a case in which itself and its key personnel including COAS Lt Gen Turkur Buratai and others are vicariously and operationally accused of grave involvement and complicity in their unwarranted and violent crackdowns on nonviolent and peaceful assemblies of the pro Biafra self determination movements in the Southeast and parts of South-south Nigeria between August 2015 and May 2016.

We also saw the Military’s Special Board of Inquiry as nothing but a kangaroo probe with a clear intention of destroying profiled and documented pieces of human, material, manual/paper and electronic evidence. The outcome of the so called Special Military Board of Inquiry has totally vindicated us at Intersociety.

It was on account of the foregoing that we suggested and called and still suggest and call for setting up by the Federal Executive Council of Nigeria of a dual special civil and criminal probe boards comprising a special criminal investigation board to be headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police for Criminal Investigations in conjunction with the office of the Attorney General of the Federation with other members drawn from NBA, Nigerian Association of Criminologists, SSS and DMI; as well as setting up of a special judicial commission of inquiry by the Federal Executive Council.

Apart from our total rejection of the Nigerian Army’s kangaroo probe team, the leadership of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) also rejected the Army probe, boycotted same and came down heavily on the Army in its attempts to use the questionable probe to escape local and international justice in due time. The IPOB’s position was contained in a statement issued and signed by Dr. Ikenna Chinaka and Iyom Grace Ukpai and its link is HERE.

We are therefore not surprised at the June 15, 2017 media briefing held by the Nigerian Army during which it absolved itself and its key commanders and personnel including its COAS of any vicarious and operational culpability and complicity in its atrocious involvement in the massive extra judicial killings and maiming in the Southeast and parts of South-south Nigeria; leading to death of over 270 unarmed and nonviolent pro Biafra campaigners and near death or torture and injuring of over 370 others.

The mass killing and maiming under reference took place in at least ten different occasions and locations on: August 30, 2015 (Awka, Igweocha, Onitsha and Asaba), 2nd and 17th December 2015 (Onitsha Niger Bridgehead and Onitsha Upper Iweka and their environs), 18th and 29th January and 9th February 2016 (Aba and its environs), 29th and 30th May 2016 (Nkpor, Onitsha and Asaba and their environs) and 20th January 2017 (Igweocha or Port Harcourt and its environs). Similar killings and maiming also took place within the periods in Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt, etc. There were also a series of dark figures of crime or those that went unreported and undocumented till date.

It, therefore, may most likely be correct to say that the present Nigerian Army and its leadership has been caught up and afflicted by Lai’s Lying Virus or Diarrhea of the Mouth; making it an award winning in military-civil propaganda and falsehood; to the extent that even when caught red handed or point blank, the Nigerian Army is still lying and denying. The latest denials by Nigerian Army have also made same a contestant and an entrant into the World Guinness Book of Records of Negativities.

The most annoying part of it all is the Nigerian Army’s unpardonable denial to the effect that “nobody was killed during the pro Biafra protests in the Southeast and parts of South-south Nigeria”. This is even when the same Governor Willie Obiano that the Nigerian Army openly quoted as telling its kangaroo probe team that “nobody was killed at Nkpor and Onitsha on 29th and 30th May 2016” is busy going about and bombarding web, social and print media with news headlines: “Gov Obiano was not involved in the killing of IPOB members at Nkpor”; meaning that the killings took place but he was not vicariously involved.

In the Amnesty Int’l Report in which it stated that “not less than 60 people were killed during 2016 Biafra Heroes Day Anniversary at Nkpor”; pictures and videos of soldiers and their military trucks conveying dozens of dead pro Biafra campaigners to destinations only known to the Nigerian Army were included.

The pictures and video clips were technologically and manually verified and traced to the crime scenes and perpetrators with matchable dates and places of their shots or recording. In one of AI’s manual pictorial verification investigations, this organization was contacted for clarification and authentication and the source was successfully traced and the taker/recorder of the picture/video linked up and internationally interviewed by the AI team.

Despite the failed efforts of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force and the Obiano Government of Anambra State to seal and erase the identities of the slain, over 60 names were successfully traced and verified. We still have it on good authority that the slain were shallowly and criminally interred in one of the two existing cemeteries inside the Onitsha Military Barracks in 1st June 2016 and the stench oozing therein made life very unbearable for nearby residents for weeks.

Some pictures and names of those slain and maimed in the Nkpor, Asaba, Onitsha and Aba Military/Police massacres of unarmed and nonviolent IPOB led pro self determination assemblies of 2nd and 17th December 2015 as well as 18th and 29th January and 9th February and 29th/30th May 2016 are graphically and descriptively contained in our special report of 12th March 2017.

Despite the Nigerian Army’s litany of naked denials, the Army and the Obiano Government of Anambra State constitutionally, mandatorily and inexcusably owe Nigerians a duty in due time to disclose where they criminally buried those slain unarmed and defenseless pro Biafra activists caught in verified pictures and videos being conveyed in military trucks belonging to Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment and its 82^nd Division.

The case was the same in Aba on February 9, 2016 at the IPOB prayer/rally held at the National High School during which not less than 30 defenseless pro Biafra activists praying and singing in the School compound were shot and killed by soldiers with over 40 others terminally maimed. The chief culprits again were soldiers of the 144 Battalion at Ukwa Ngwa, near Aba, which is a unit of 14th Brigade of the Nigerian Army at Ohafia in Abia State, Southeast Nigeria. The 144 Battalion then was commanded by one Lt Col Kasim Umar Sidi.

Thirteen lifeless bodies were later found on 12th February by local whistleblowers inside a burrow pit located along Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway near Aba. Three others were also found behind a Mosque near Aba. The thirteen lifeless bodies were suspiciously set ablaze by suspected Government agents on 1st March 2016, forty eight hours after we wrote the Governor of Abia State concerning the discovery and public health nuisance of the 13 lifeless bodies.

Amnesty In’l team also visited the burrow on February 18 after our visits of 14th and 15th of same month. It was during AI’s returned or second visit to the burrow pit on 1st March 2016 that they saw the corpses burning. The AI’s team had during their first visit manually found that the lifeless bodies were tied around their limbs and eyes with cut pieces of Biafra flags. The recorded video clip of the Aba massacre of IPOB activists was later played before President Muhammadu Buhari by the Aljazeera TV Crew sometime in 2016 during one of his overseas trip. Yet to Nigerian Army, nobody was killed in pro Biafra protests.

The sum total of the foregoing is that the Nigerian Army and its leadership is not remorseful and apologetic and can never be over its atrocities and crimes against humanity perpetrated and perpetuated against unarmed and nonviolent pro Biafra campaigners; likewise the nonviolent Islamic Movement of Nigeria and its teeming followers.

The Nigerian Army is only desperate to impossibly erase traces of its culpability and complicity and facilitate a criminal or offensive escape from local and international justice so as to desperately get UK, US and others to unban its key personnel and continue to supply and sale SALWs and other strategic weapons of conflicts including warplanes and allied others to further be put to use in perpetration of gross rights abuses against innocent and nonviolent civilian populations in Southeast and South-south Nigeria and any other part.

In the Shiite massacre that took place in December 2015 in Zaria part of Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria, the Army reportedly got the lame duck National Human Rights Commission and a number of its conformist staff to issue it an unholy certificate of exoneration. The despicable patterns and trends have resurfaced again in the Army’s latest comic episode and litany of naked denials contained in its watery and laughable SBOI report which it released on 15th June 2017.

Similarly, in the recent public notice of intention to sue Buratai & 15 Ors instituted by ten families and relatives of the slain and tortured pro Biafra activists; issued by the US District Court for the District of Columbia, presided over by District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, the Nigerian Army through its usual Hand of Esau and Voice of Jacob methods; decided to relocate to the media for media trial and smear campaigns; instead of waiting to be served with court processes to know exactly what the contents are all about and its sought reliefs/remedies.

In its usual militarist, dictatorial, tyrannical, undemocratic, panicky, guilty mind, smearing, uncultured, corporately illiterate and uncouth manner; the Army has through its Hand of Esau and Voice of Jacob methods, resorted to description of US District Court as illegitimate and alien.

The courageous and innocent plaintiffs and concerned sons and daughters of the Igbo Race resident in USA who initiated the anti gross rights abuse suit; likewise the law firm of Bruce Fein handling the matter are also labeled “terrorists”, “kidnappers”, “armed robbers”, “insurrectionists”, and so on by hired agents of the Nigerian Army.

Singed:

For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety)

Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist & Graduate of Security Studies)
Board Chairman
Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Email: botchairman@intersociety-ng.org
Website: www.intersociety-ng.org

Barr Obianuju Joy Igboeli
Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program
Mobile Line: + 2348180771506

Barr Chinwe Umeche
Head, Democracy & Good Governance Program
Mobile Line: +2347013238673

Barr Ndidiamaka Bernard
Head, Int’l Justice & Human Rights Program
Mobile Line: +2348130821493

Barr Florence C. Akubilo
Head, Campaign & Publicity Department
Mobile Line: +2349025567114
Website: www.intersociety-ng.org
Email: info@intersociety-ng.org

Ayodele Fayose, the governor of Ekiti State, has declared his interest to run for president of Nigeria in 2019 saying that he will “take power out of Buhari’s hand”.

The governor spoke at a meeting with political office holders at the Government’s House, Ado Ekiti, on Friday, June 16, 2017 where he also inspected Osoko Political Institute Centre.

“Just because Ayo Fayose has won a second term to become governor of Ekiti, some people also think they can come back now, but I want to tell them that it is not possible,” the southwestern governor said, apparently taking a swipe at his predecessor and current minister of solid minerals, Kayode Fayemi.

“I am the man wholeheartedly loved by Ekiti people because of the many developmental projects that have brought great infrastructural and developmental advancement to Ekiti,” he said.

“If you go around Ekiti, you will see my handiwork dotting every nook and cranny of the state. This is why I am the man who every Ekiti people will follow in 2018.

“I have penchant for taking powers; that one in Buhari’s hand. I will take it. I’m going straight to that villa. I’m the next president.

“I want to be the next president of Nigeria. My own won’t be this change that has brought nothing, we are going to represent the people well and tell them the truth,” he declared.

Let the games begin!

A Norristown, Pennsylvania, judge declared a mistrial in a court case that accused entertainer Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting a former employee of his alma mater in his home in 2004.

Cosby, 79, could have been convicted of three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Judge Steven O’Neill declared the mistrial Saturday morning after the jury of seven men and five women failed to reach a unanimous consensus on a verdict after 52 hours. Journalist Dana DiFilippo documented Cosby’s reaction to the verdict:

Bill Cosby leans back in chair, resting chin on his cane, looking thoughtful after jury deadlocks, judge declares mistrial. #CosbyTrial

— Dana DiFilippo (@DanaDiFilippo) June 17, 2017

Read more at HuffPost.

Okezie Ikpeazu, the governor of Abia State, has dissolved the state executive council.

The dissolution was contained in a statement signed and posted on the state government’s official website by the permanent secretary, Government House, Onyii Wamah on Friday night [June 16, 2017].

According to the permanent secretary, the governor retained his chief of staff, Mr Sunny Nwakodo, and the commissioner for finance, Mr Obinna Oriaku.

Also retained is the commissioner for justice and attorney-general of the state, Chief Umeh Kalu (SAN).

No reason was given for the sack of the commissioners, special advisers as well as senior special assistants and the SSG.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dissolution was coming after the commissioners took turns to present their scorecards at a forum attended by the governor between May 28 and May 29.

The statement, which was e-mailed to The Trent, also announced the appointment of three special advisers to the governor, including the former commissioner for works, Eziuche Ubani, who was appointed as the special adviser on works and project monitoring.

Others were Emma Nwabuko and Solomon Ogunji, who were appointed as special adviser/personal secretary to the governor and special adviser on urban renewal, respectively.

Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, aka Evans, the billionaire kidnapper who was arrested last week, after evading arrest for four years, says God will take care of his children and says he is tired of living.

In an interview with Channels TV, the alleged kidnap kingpin also known as Evans said one Uche and another unnamed male were in charge of the house where the victims were kept in the Igando area of Lagos state.

The suspect, who disclosed that the highest ransom he has ever collected was $1 million, said he operated three times in Edo and got a sum of N50 million.

“I don’t know their names. I know the people that do the thing. That time they said they did not collect N100 million, that what they collected was N50 million,” the kidnap kingpin said in response to a question.

On the location and welfare of the victims, he said: “It is around Igando area. It is a rented apartment. Just because they are wasting time. Because when you are wasting time you have to wait for the money to be complete. We have people that are feeding them.”

THE FULL INTERVIEW

Where did you start kidnapping?

I started in Anambra then I came to Lagos.

How many jobs did you do in Anambra?

The truth of the matter is that I did not do anything in Anambra. Anambra can check the record of it. In Edo state it was like about three times.

Who did you kidnap in Edo state?

I don’t know their names. I know the people that do the thing. That time they said they did not collect N100 million, that what they collected was N50 million.

When did you move to Lagos?

I moved to Lagos in 2013.

Who did you kidnap in Festac, Lagos?

I don’t normally know names. But when I see someone that I know I will, you understand. Because sometimes something will happen, you will not know the name of the person.

How did you identify rich individuals?

Anybody that is rich, you will know that he is rich. I have people that give me information. I don’t know where they are right now.

How did you meet with your boys?

Each time I want to go for an operation, I will call them on the phone like let’s meet in so and so place before we start going for the operation.

Where did you get the military uniform you use for your operations?

I no get army uniform.

How many of you normally go for an operation?

Three or four.

How did you get your victims away?

We would carry the man put inside motor and go.

How did you get into a victim’s House?

It is maybe along the road.

So you wait for your victims to come out?

Yes.

What is the most expensive ransom you have collected?

The highest money we have collected is from somebody living in Festac, $1 million.

Why did you keep your victims for months and where?

Just because they are wasting time. Because when you are wasting time you have to wait for the money to be complete. We have people that are feeding them.

Where did you keep your victims?

Just one. It is around Igando area. It is a rented apartment.

What are names of the boys that watched over the victims?

The name of the boy is Uche. They are two. I can’t remember the name of the second person. He is an Igbo boy. He is from Aguleri. His name has escaped me but I will remember.

Are they armed?

No.

How much do you pay him and how long have they been working for you?

The boy is a new person but Uche is the old person.

How much do you pay Uche before this boy joined him?

N2 million.

Every month?

Every operation. Sometimes above that.

Your second in command, how much do you give him?

It depends on the money we make.

Who goes to collect the ransom?

I can make the call but they can go and collect it. When they bring the money we have to share it. All of us.

How many of you?

Like six.

You have boys in each state?

Yes. It is those people I have in Lagos. I don’t have boys in Edo and Anambra.

If you want to go and kidnap in Edo, what do you do?

It is by phone call. That was that time we made phone calls then we gather together.

Where do you meet?

We can meet along the road and ask them to pick me up.

Tell us about your family. Your mum, your sisters, do they know what you do?

As for my mum, she doesn’t know.

What message do you have for your children?

I don’t have any message for them. I believe God will take control.

Culled from TheCable.

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has denied that the existence of an internal crisis within its fold.

The party said no member of its leadership has been removed, noting that Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, only made changes “in his own political team”.

In a statement on Saturday, June 16, 2017 Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, chairman, Rivers APC, said no member of the party has been discouraged from seeking elective office

“All members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, leadership in Rivers State are intact. From our ward officers to State party executives, no one has been removed or suspended from office.

“We are aware that our leader, the leader of the party in the state, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is making some changes in his personal political group, team or caucus in the State. It is his right and prerogative to make any leadership changes within his own political team, group or caucus,” the statement read.

“Amaechi created the caucus, team or group, appointed its members and leaders and so can make any changes he deems fit with this is personal group, team or caucus. But we must emphasize that these changes by the Honourable Minister of Transportation within his personal political team, group or caucus has absolutely nothing to do with the party leadership structure and does not affect the party leadership structures at all levels in the State.

“Contrary to fake wild speculations and deliberately misleading insinuations, no member of the party in the State is been stopped or prevented from having ambition or wanting to seek for any elective office. And we must reinstate here that no APC member will be stopped or prevented from seeking any elective office. We know for a fact that as a consummate democrat, our leader, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has not and will not stop, prevent or even attempt to discourage any party member from seeking any political office, elective or otherwise.

“For the purpose of clarity, we want to emphasize that as a truly democratic party, The APC in Rivers State will ensure a level-playing field for all its aspirants to any elective political office. In accordance with our party rules, regulations and constitution, we shall be fair to all aspirants and will always ensure that the process leading to the emergence of our candidates for all elective political offices is free, fair and credible.

“Finally, we want to remind and appeal to all APC party members in Rivers State that we are just half way into 2017, and campaigns for the various 2019 elections are yet to commence. Therefore, this is the time to join hands, come together and work in harmony to build a stronger and better party that will defeat our opponents at the polls in 2019.”

Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s information and culture minister, has admonished those beating drums of war through hate speeches and divisive statements to desist in the interest of the nation’s unity and safety.

The minister gave the advise on Saturday, June 16, 2017 at the “Lai Mohammed 10th Annual Ramadan Lecture” held in his country home, Oro, Kwara.

Lai Mohammed expressed concerns over the rate of inflammatory statements capable of causing division and war in the country in recent times.

He urged Nigerians to disregard those who were engaged in hate speeches as well as their purveyors.

“In the last couple of months, we have witnessed the increase inflammatory and hate speeches.

“Hate speeches have been responsible for wars. Rwandan genocide where more than 800,000 people were killed was started by hate speeches.

“Like people say, wars are not really started by bullets, they are started by words of mouth.

“Nigeria is too big and God has a purpose for making us one and we shall remain united.

“There will be differences, but like the Yoruba says, “Ori bibe ko ni ogun ori fifo” (beheading is not antidote to headache).

“We have been living together peacefully and we will continue to live together, because we have a lot to gain by being united.

“If there is war today, none of us will escape whether you are young or old whether you are Yoruba, Igbo of Hausa,” he said.

The Minister recounted a story he said Acting President Yemi Osinbajo narrated on the dire consequences of the Rwanda war on two judges from that country.

“The Acting President told us a story that in 1982, he was a young lecturer in the University of Lagos and two Supreme Court Judges came visiting from Rwanda.

“He said ten years later, in 1992, he went to work in Rwanda and on the street with a bowl in hand looking for food were the Supreme Court Judges that he saw in Lagos.

“This shows that when there is war, the young, the old, the rich and the poor, we are all victims,” he said.

The Minister stressed that Nigerians must work together, understand their differences and must never pray for war.

Mohammed thanked those who attended the lecture noting that their presence was key to its success.

He said the Ramadan lecture, the tenth in the series, was unique because it’s attendance cuts across religions and denomination.

The Minister explained that the presence of Christian faithfuls at the event was an indication that Nigerians, irrespective of their religious leaning, could work and live together.

The Special Guest of honour at the event, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun said he was impressed with the turn out of people in their diversity at the event.

The governor urged Muslim faithfuls to remain pious in the remaining days of Ramadan and pray for the unity of the country.

Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara commended the Minister for organising the annual lecture.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information, Mahmud Ajeigbe said it was a great feat for the minister to have sustained the Ramadan lecture for 10 years.

Earlier, the Guest Speaker, Sheikh Ibrahim Gidado from Lagos preached on piety especially during the Ramadan period.

He charged the gathering on the need for people to have the fear of God in all their dealings and to be compassionate and show love to the less privileged.

He also called for the support of Nigerians for the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as well as their prayers for the President’s quick recovery.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief Imam of Oro, Mohammed Sanusi led other clerics at the event on prayers for the country, the President and his cabinet as well as the
 minister and members of his family.

The lecture was attended by traditional rulers from Kwara, including Oloro of Oro, Oba Abdulrauf Oyelaran, Clerics, Muslim and Christian faithfuls, politicians, students and people from other walks of life.

Muslims are lending terrified Christians hijab veils to help them disguise themselves from ISIS terrorists as they try to escape their clutches.

The tale is one of the stories to emerge from the besieged city of Marawi in the Philippines – where there are around 1,500 people trapped by the militants.

About 100 people have managed to escape on foot or by risking swimming via a treacherous river.

Those who survived the journey have told medics of the resourcefulness of those who fled.

The head of the psychosocial therapy team, Dr Gioia Ancheta, said: “Some of the stories that stuck were Muslims helping protect Christian workers by letting them borrow a hijab.”

Marawi was stormed by militants around three weeks ago – in an operation which left 290 people dad including 26 innocent civilians.

According to report by Mirror, those who remain trapped in the city face starvation as they are held as human shields by President Duterte’s military who are trying to oust the jiahdists.

There are reports that some of the ‘hostages’ are so hungry they have “started to eat their blankets” according to one local politician, Zia Alonto Adiong, who is managing the relief effort.

The Independent reports he added: “Some residents are eating (cardboard) boxes. They just dip it in water to soften the material and eat it,” he said.

Survivors who escaped say they have witnessed appalling scenes of carnage.

The Philippines military is continuing its assault but efforts are being hampered by an estimated 200 Islamic State fighters holed up in ‘sniper’ positions.

President Duterte has placed the entire region under martial law in his fightback against Islamic extremism.