MISSILE ACTIVITIES: Malaysia bans its citizens from travelling to North Korea

Due to its increasing ballistic missile activities, the government of Malaysia has banned its citizens from travelling to North Korea led by defiant and headstrong leader, Kim Jong Un.
The government of Malaysia made the development known after its foreign ministry announced the ban in a statement Thursday and said that it would last until further notice.
The statement cited North Korea’s missile tests and related developments. North Korea has been targeted in recent months by stricter sanctions and increasing diplomatic pressure, with Kuwait and Mexico expelling its envoys in recent weeks.
Read also: Day after dismissing war accusations by N’Korea, US says it is ready to pound Pyongyang
Yesterday, President Donald Trump declared that the US is ready to take military option against Pyongyang.
Trump made the comments while reacting to reports of a North Korean threat to shoot down American bombers, after what the country through it foreign minister called a declaration of war.
He declared that the US is “totally prepared” to take a military option against North Korea, saying “it will be devastating” to Pyongyang.
The increasingly heated rhetoric between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is raising fears of a risk of a miscalculation by one side or the other that could have massive repercussions.

Kogi workers beg Buhari to send NEMA to their rescue over unpaid salaries

Civil Servants in Kogi State have made a special appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the case of their prolonged non-payment of salaries by the Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration of the state.
The workers specifically requested that the president direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other humanitarian agencies to send them food, drugs and other relief materials, while also urging Buhari to consider the condition of their children who they said had been sent out of school because they could no longer pay their school fees.
This was contained in statement jointly released Wednesday in Lokoja by the state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council.
The civil servants revealed that they were being owed between 11 and 21-month salaries.

“The situation of workers in the state is worse than the condition of the Internally Displaced Persons in various camps.
“The agony of the workers is not in any way less than the experiences of victims of natural disasters.
”A situation where workers cannot afford even one meal a day and pay the school fees of their children is already a humanitarian issue.
“As it stands today, over 30 per cent of the workforce is owed 21 months’ salaries. Twenty per cent have unpaid salaries of between 11 and 18 months, while about 45 per cent took their salaries up till June this year.
“These are the category of workers the Kogi State Government is forcing to embrace the ‘clock-in, clock-out’ work policy”, the workers said.
They also begged the indigenes of the state at home and abroad to show concern and assist them in whatever form they could.
Recall that workers in the state had, on September 22, embarked on an indefinite strike to demand for payment of their salary arrears.
In response, Director-General, Media and Publicity, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, had said the government was yet to enter into negotiations with labour over their demands because the signatories to the strike notice were unknown to them.
He had urged workers to disregard labour’s directive to go on strike, stating that their claims on salary arears were just an attempt to misinform the public for selfish reasons.

Int’l Law Prof Oyebode says corruption thriving better under Buhari than past govts

A Professor of International Law and Jurisprudence, University of Lagos, Akin Oyebode, has lamented that despite the much talk about fight against graft under President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, that “Corruption is now thriving more than ever before” in Nigeria.
Oyebode has therefore warned that “if drastic measures are not put in place urgently to contain it, corruption might ultimately result in the mortality of Nigeria as a nation-state.”
He added, that “Corruption is now thriving more than ever before, despite the ongoing fight against it. However, international law has really helped with a plethora of laws against corruption, it now behoves on citizens to take advantage of this laws to fight against corruption.”
He stated this when he spoke on Thursday at a roundtable organised by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), held in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Oyebode who made his position known while delivering a paper on “Strategies for mobilizing mass action to demand anti-corruption reforms and an end to impunity for grand corruption in Nigeria” insisted that “mass action by the citizens is urgently needed to put pressure on authorities to end impunity for grand corruption in the country.”
Part of Oyebode’s paper read, “It is not enough to have fanciful anti-corruption laws. More important is the need to get the generality of the popular masses wedded to the crusade in order to make it a success. The reticence and lethargy of our people generally would need to be confronted. Without the cooperation and collaboration of generality of the people, the anti-corruption bodies might end up little more than paper tigers.”
According to him, “The people must be enlisted in the war against corruption. Nigerians should start anti-corruption clubs in schools, radio jingles should be put in place to fight corruption, carry placards, go outside, organize sit ins like SERAP is doing presently, Nigerians should be mobilized against corruption and now take their destiny in their hands. The fight should not be left alone to organizations like SERAP and when the State wants to attack organizations like SERAP, the masses should fight for them.”
He also argued that “the recent attempt by the National Assembly with the NGO bill to control, monitor and eventually sequester CSOs all because of the excuse that some CSOs are corrupt should not be allowed. Cutting off the head is not the cure for headache, the bill is an overkill. If they cage organizations like SERAP, who will fight for the masses. The government do not want anybody to act as impediment to their thievery activities.”
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN), who was represented by his Senior Assistant Abiodun Aikomo said, “The disconnect between our prosperity and where we are is corruption. We have to be patriotic, only Nigerians can do something about corruption. To file paper in court, you have to shake body. Corruption has unfortunately attained legitimacy in Nigeria, we are all encouraging corruption that is killing us. Imagine a million citizens fighting against corruption, we have a government committed to the fight. Let us all fight it and shun greed”
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana SAN in his contribution said that, “We must stop our lawyers from terrorising our courts and judges. We must get our judges to take charge of their courts.”

According to Falana, “Religious leaders should stop confusing our people. Our churches and traditional rulers should stop praying for thieves. This is how low we have sunk. What are we as individuals doing to stop these politicians, let’s start with Lagos, let’s start asking our legislators how much they are being paid for doing what? Let our church stop conferring honours on criminals. Also our universities should be encouraged to join in the fight.”
Participants at the event included: Chief Barr. O.M Bakara- representing HRM, Elegushi of Ikate Land Mr Osita Nwajah, representing Ibrahim Magu the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; Rabiat Umar ICPC; Chief Abayomi Sunday and Chief Moshood Onikoyi, representing Oba Onikoyi of Ikoyi & Imoba Land; Padma Igbabe Ford Foundation; Dr Dayo Ayoade, Faculty of Law UNILAG; Marijke Petri Wife of the Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria; and Depo Adeniran, Coalition against Corrupt Leaders.

Lai unhappy with US refusal to accept IPOB as terrorist group

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has bemoaned the refusal of the United States to accept that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) a group recently proscribed by the Federal Government, is a terrorist organisation.
IPOB, a group calling for referendum for an independent state of Biafra, was recently banned by Nigerian authorities and branded a terrorist organisation after a clash erupted in Umuahia, Abia State, between members of the group and soldiers of the Nigerian Army deployed in the five states of the South-east for a military exercise codenamed ‘Operation Python Dance II’.
Both the US and the European Union (EU) have refused to accept the categorisation of IPOB as a terrorist organisation.
But in his reaction on BBC Focus on Africa Wednesday night, Lai Mohammed regretted the position of the US on the IPOB issue, lamenting that it was “unfortunate.”
He added that terrorism has no boundary and drummed the need for all nations to work together to ensure it is defeated.
He said, “It is unfortunate (US opinion) because if countries decide to pick and choose which organisation is terrorist and which is not, bearing in mind that terrorism has no boundary. I think what we should do is that every country should work together to ensure that terrorism doesn’t strike.”
On why Nigerian Federal Government would not brand Fulani herdsmen that have murdered hundreds of Nigerians, destroyed many homes and properties terrorist organisation, the Information Minister argued that Fulani herdsmen’s criminality should not be misunderstood for terrorist act.

Justifying the reason for categorising IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu as a terror group, Mohammed said that the group had already crossed the red line having confronted the Nigeria Army, set up its own parallel force, openly solicited for arms all over the world, and was already issuing its own passports and printing its currency.
He said, “Acts and utterances of IPOB were act of terrorism. For instance, Nnamdi Kanu said he wanted Biafra, not peacefully, but by force. And that if they don’t get Biafra, Somalia will be a paradise to the kind of mayhem they will unleash. He is the same man that set up his own Biafra National Guard and Biafra Security Service.”
Apart from US and EU who have refused to see IPOB as a terrorist organisations, back home in Nigeria, several lawyers and groups, including the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have maintained that it was wrong for the Federal Government to brand IPOB a terrorist group.

Gov Obaseki gave N10m bribe to journalist ‘friends of Oshiomhole’ to influence reports, PDP alleges

The Edo state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that Governor Godwin Obaseki ‘gifted’ some journalists in the state with the sum of N10 million.
According to the party, immediate past governor of the state, “Adams Oshiomhole, approved the handsome sum of ten million Naira to be ‘dashed’ to a few members of NUJ before he left office”.
Chris Osa Nehikhare, State Publicity Secretary of the party, lamented that the funds taken from Edo state tax payers money, was given to a group of journalists purportedly referred to as ‘friends of Oshiomhole’.
The PDP further noted that “with the revelation of ‘bribery’ of a few (journalists) It is clear reportage may not have been balanced, fair and truthful”.
Nehikhare in a statement issued on Thursday, said, “NUJ is a body we hold in very high esteem. It reports on government activities as well as reactions to the actions and inactions of government. It’s supposed to give a balanced reportage of events in our society. But with the revelation of “bribery” of a few, It is clear reportage may not have been balanced, fair and truthful.
“To our utter surprise, and maybe in continuation of the unholy alliance that existed, Governor Obaseki, who has been pleading lack of funds to pay pensioners, fix roads, equip hospitals and generally run government, made this payment that has now thrown NUJ Edo State chapter into serious crisis.

“It is pertinent at this point to ask Governor Obaseki to reveal other illegal approvals that he met, the value of such approvals and beneficiaries of such approvals”.
He said that there is a need for Edo people to know how much has been misappropriated by the present government since it was sworn in because of loyalty, gratitude and fiduciary relations.
“Just a few weeks ago, the story broke of how Adams Oshiomhole gifted Edo State assets to friends, political cronies and family. It is alleged that over 346 different models of cars belonging to Edo State government are unaccounted for. Lands and buildings in choice areas in the state and other states are some of the assets of EDSG Adams Oshiomhole did “Father Christmas” with. However, many of these assets have been traced to him”, the party alleged.
The Edo PDP spokesperson narrated: “You will recall how Hon Ativie brought EDHA to ridicule in the Jeepsgate scandal. Just as Adams Oshiomhole did in that ongoing scandal, Adams Oshiomhole is once again trying to redefine the purpose for which the money to his ” hatchet men” in the press were gifted such a huge, unbudgeted and appropriated amount.
“What we are seeing and hearing now concerning Adams Oshiomhole’s inglorious years as Governor of Edo State is a tip of the iceberg. You will recall that Edo PDP described EDSG under Adams Oshiomhole as a cesspool of corruption.
“We condemn in very serious terms the attitude of the the Godwin Obaseki led government in playing the ostrich that has buried its head in the sand in the midst of these revelations.
“Gov Godwin Obaseki must begin to reverse all these corrupt acquisitions of government assets, demand for the return of those vehicles and refund of cash “gifts” to friends and cronies!
“A precedent has been set at the federal level where many people have been asked to return money given to them by the immediate past federal government and many are doing just that.
“Edo people deserve more. Edo people deserve better!”, he declared.

ATIKU COMMENT: No need to sack Alhassan, Nigerians argue

Nigerians who took part in a survey by Ripples Nigeria have contended that there is no need for President Muhammadu Buhari to relieve the Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, of her duties as a minister, over her comment that she would support former vice president Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 presidential election over Buhari should he decide to run.
Alhassan, a former governorship candidate in Taraba State had, in a video that went viral recently, much to the shock of many, openly declared support for Atiku’s aspirations.
Following the video’s emergence and backlash from some who called for her sack, Alhassan defended her position in an interview.
Speaking with BBC Hausa, she called Atiku her godfather, saying she did not mind losing her job for supporting him.
Her party, the APC and governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El’Rufai had contended that she spoke out of line, even as the governor revealed that Buhari appointed her against the advice of some chieftains of the party.

Also, soon after the comment, the office of the Auditor-General indicted the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development under her of alleged fraud of N11, 700,000 and ordered that the money be refunded to the federation account.
According to the report, payments amounting to N11, 700, 000 were made by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to enable Minister Alhassan, and some other staff members embark on ‘familiarisation visits’ to undisclosed skill acquisition centres in selected states in 2015.
The report stated that an “audit investigation established that the purported acclaimed visits were never undertaken.”
But Nigerians who took part in the survey put up arguments in her favour, noting that she was rather courageous and truthful for stating her mind, qualities they contend many Nigerian politicians presently lack.
The survey which was widely promoted on social media attracted well over 1,792 comments on Facebook alone, with 1,036 people taking part in the actual voting process.
The poll reached 419,493 people on facebook, and was shared by more than 500 people, with more than 250,000 people indicating they liked it.
Of those who took part in the actual voting, 61.4 per cent, representing 633 voters said she does not need to be relieved of her job, while 398 respondents representing 38.6 per cent wanted her sacked.
Unlike in several other surveys carried out by Ripples Nigeria, no voter was undecided on the matter.

INEC, MELAYE RECALL SAGA: Judge hands off, pushes it to Appeal Court

Matters involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Senator Dino Melaye over his recall process have landed at the Appeal Court.
This was as a judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, on Thursday directed that all issues in respect to Senator Melaye versus INEC should be taken to the Court of Appeal.
According to Justice Dimgba, since the senator’s appeal against the court ’s September 11 judgment had been entered at the Court of Appeal, all pending applications, including the ones filed by Melaye for stay of execution of the verdict, should be taken to the Court of Appeal.
The ruling came after INEC on Thursday withdrew its motion seeking an order of the Federal High Court to allow it to serve the recall petition on the Kogi West Senator, through substituted means rather than personal service.
INEC had filed the ex parte motion praying substituted service of the recall petition on Melaye. The motion which was filed on September 15, was sequel to alleged refusal of Melaye to accept service of the petition and other accompanying documents as earlier ordered by the court in its September 11 judgment.
However, after INEC’s lawyer, Yunus Ustaz (SAN ), announced the withdrawal of the case, Justice Dimgba struck out the motion and thereafter directed that all matters on the case be taken to the Court of Appeal.
Before his eventual withdrawal of the ex parte motion, INEC lawyer, Ustaz, had told the court that Melaye had continued “dodging” service, as an effort by the INEC to serve Melaye during the Senate’s plenary on Tuesday also failed.
He had prayed Justice Dimgba to hear the motion. He was however opposed by Melaye’s counsel, Nkem Okoro, who argued that the hearing should not proceed because the court no longer had jurisdiction to hear any application concerning the case.
His argument was that his client’s appeal against the September 11 judgment of the court had been “entered” at the Court of Appeal.
Following some questions raised by Justice Dimgba, counsel to INEC later withdrew the motion.

The judge had questioned the propriety of the ex parte motion after the court had finally disposed of the case by delivering judgment on September 11. He had further pointed out that Order 6 of the Federal High Court Rules based on which INEC filed the ex parte motion presupposed that there was a pending case.
According to Dimgba, having passed judgment on the matter, filing an ex parte motion was not the appropriate means for enforcement of the judgment.
Recall that Justice Dimgba in his ruling on the case on September 11, had dismissed Melaye’s suit challenging the validity of the recall process. It also ruled that as a pre-condition for the exercise to commence, that INEC must serve the senator with the recall petition and accompanying documents, including the signatures of the constituents demanding for Melaye’s recall.

Okorocha lied, I only offered him bribe in his dreams –Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has strongly denied the reported statements credited to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State that he was offered a bribe by the former president ahead of the 2015 presidential election as part of efforts to enlist his support.
Jonathan said this in reaction to the specific allegation that he offered “huge sums of money and an influential ministry” to Okorocha in order to make him abandon the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Jonathan insisted that there was no such encounter between the two men, adding, that it could only have happened in Okorocha’s dream.
The former president made his views known in a statement through Ikechukwu Eze, his spokesman.
The statement read, “We offer to quickly dismiss these claims as lies, because we are clear in our minds that such conversation never happened.

“We are wondering whether this truly came from the governor because we are sure that even governor Okorocha himself did not believe that anybody would accept these claims.
“In the first place, it sounded irrational and absurd. Besides, it was obvious to all and sundry that the south-east, being Dr. Jonathan’s political stronghold, the ex-President did not need Okorocha to win in the zone.
“However, to set the records straight, we make bold to say that former President Jonathan never made any contact with Okorocha, ahead of the 2015 elections.
“All those who had either worked closely with him in any capacity, or served in Jonathan’s administration can bear testimony to the fact that idle talk is not his style.
“Since we know that the only proof the purveyors of this bribery allegation could offer is to probably claim that the transaction happened in a dream, we can only offer the governor sincere advice, to avoid rumours and twaddle, and get down to the business of result-oriented governance.
“Governor Okorocha would have served his state better, if he directed his enormous drive to creating growth and development opportunities for the good people of Imo state, rather than allowing himself to be drawn into dissipating his energy on platitudes and propaganda”.

ALLEGED N3BN SALARY: Meeting with Saraki provided no satisfactory answers- SERAP claims

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has described as unfortunate the failure of the leadership of the Senate to give satisfactory answer over allegation that a Nigerian Senator gets over N3 billion yearly.

SERAP disclosed this in a statement on Friday wherein it confirmed that its representatives on Thursday met with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to discuss matters regarding details of annual salaries and allowances of Nigerian senators.

Sequel to Professor Itse Sagay’s allegation that a Nigerian senator gets N29 million in monthly pay, and over N3 billion a year, SERAP had written the Senate demanding clarifications on the issue.

Consequently, the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, had invited the organisation to a meeting last Thursday, September 21, possibly to provide explanations to the allegation.

However, SERAP in a in a statement this Friday signed by its deputy director, Timothy Adewale, said, “While we appreciate the expresed commitment by Saraki to transparency and accountability of the National Assembly, and the rare opportunity to dialogue with him, we remain deeply concerned that the leadership of the Senate has unfortunately not satisfactorily addressed the damaging allegations by Professor Itse Sagay…”

Adewale went further to explain, “There is an apparent discrepancy in some areas between what Saraki said at the meeting and what the Senate is doing in practice to improve transparency of its operations and accountability of members.

For example, the Senate President’s response to Sagay’s allegations was simply to refer SERAP to the National Assembly budget for 2017, which is available on its website. However, a careful study of the document shows that it contains only some general information and not specific details that respond directly to allegations raised by Sagay.”

Part of statement read, “The meeting with Saraki raises more questions than it answers. The Senate budget on its website is incomplete. The absence of specific details on salaries and allowances of each senator not only makes analysis difficult, it also points to underlying weaknesses in monitoring and transparency mechanisms.

“Without including some level of details, Nigerians may see the published National Assembly budget as nothing more than window-dressing. SERAP hopes that the leadership of the Senate doesn’t want this to be the case—and we certainly see no reason why it should be the case. As we have noted, improved transparency on the exact salaries and allowances of senators and indeed members of the House of Representatives is in the interests of all.

“In SERAP’s view, rather than referring us to the seemingly incomplete National Assembly budget, the Senate President should have provided a line-by-line response to Sagay’s allegations. It’s important that the leadership of the Senate provides additional information that is lacking from the published budget if it is ever going to satisfactorily clear the air on the issues.”

According to SARAP, transparency is a fundamental attribute of democracy, a norm of human rights, a tool to promote political and economic prosperity and to curb corruption.

“For the Senate, practising transparency should start with the leadership being open to Nigerians on the salaries and allowances of members,” it added.

 

World's Largest Aircraft Starts Engine Tests

For the first time, the private spaceflight company Stratolaunch tested all six of the engines on a colossal airplane with the largest wingspan of any aircraft in the world.

"In these initial tests, each of the six engines operated as expected," Stratolaunch, which is led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, announced on Tuesday (Sept. 19). The 747 turbofan engines were loaded with fuel, started one at a time and then allowed to idle at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, the company said.

The double-bodied airplane is designed to serve as a mobile launch platform to carry rockets into low-Earth orbit. [Supersonic! The 11 Fastest Military Airplanes]

According to the scheme, the Stratolaunch plane will make a runway-style takeoff, and when the aircraft reaches a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet (11,000 meters), the rockets it's carrying will detach and then launch small satellites into low-Earth orbit.

Stretching 386 feet (118 m) across, the aircraft's wingspan is longer than a professional football field. The vehicle weighs 500,000 lbs. (nearly 227,000 kilograms) when empty and unfueled, but it's designed to carry another 550,000 lbs. (nearly 250,000 kg) between the two fuselages.

Allen founded Stratolaunch Systems in 2011 with a goal of making access to low-Earth orbit "more convenient, reliable and routine," according to the company's website. To build the huge carrier plane, Allen partnered with Scaled Composites, the aerospace company founded by spaceship builder Burt Rutan. (Perhaps it should be no surprise, then, that the design for the Stratolaunch plane resembles that of Rutan's double-bodied White Knight Two, the mothership built to launch Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, a passenger-carrying space plane.)

Last year, Stratolaunch signed a deal with Orbital ATK, which will provide its Pegasus XL air-launch rockets to be used with the Stratolaunch aircraft. These rockets can carry satellites weighing up to 1,000 lbs. (about 450 kg), and Stratolaunch could fit up to three of them on a single flight of its plane, underneath the conjoined center wing.

The aircraft rolled away from its scaffolding supports and out of the hangar for the first time only in May. Company officials have said they hope to have the plane fully in service by the end of the decade.

"Over the next few months, we will continue to test the aircraft's engines at higher power levels and varying configurations, culminating to the start of taxi tests," Stratolaunch officials said in a statement. The company said that it already began testing the aircraft's flight control system as well as the electrical, pneumatic and fire-detection systems.

IPOB: Saraki ‘supporting’ genocide to score cheap political points – Reps

Some members of the House of Representatives have described as “a tragedy of immense proportion”, Senate President Bukola Saraki’s opposition to the terrorist tag placed on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

They said that by his actions and words, the president of the Senate is supporting the group which has carried out genocide in some Nigerians in order to gain cheap political points.

Saraki had earlier in the week before the Federal Government eventually got an order proscribing and labelling IPOB as a terror group, argued that the Defence Headquarters DHQ categorisation of IPOB as a terrorist group was unconstitutional.

He had also faulted the group’s proscription by the South-east governors. According to Saraki, both the DHQ and the governors failed to follow constitutional process in their declaration, hence their actions were illegal and cannot stand.

But in their response, members of the House of Representatives under the aegis of Progressives Caucus, in a statement signed by Aiyu Madaki, Sani Zorro and Mohammed Soba lambasted Saraki for the position he took on the matter.

They also berated Senate deputy leader, Ike Ekweremadu for supporting the Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB.

While listing alleged killings that have been perpetrated by IPOB, the Reps members said, “It is indeed a tragedy of immense proportion if the Senate President will close his eyes to these genocidal acts, and instead attempt to incite an armed rebel group against state actors, just to score cheap political points”.

The lawmakers also said: “We were shocked beyond belief when our attention was brought to the statement credited to the Senate President, Abubakar Saraki in which he willy-nilly endorsed the murderous activities of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), based on arguments that are bereft of reason, rationality or logic.

“In fact, a clear pattern of overt support to the leader of the terrorist group had since been established under the watch of the Senate President, for some time now..

“In the past his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, had not only hosted, but put the full paraphernalia of his office – bullet-proof cars, uniformed policemen and operatives of the department of the state security service (DSS), and full complement of his staff on our nation’s payroll, to give solidarity and support to a secessionist leader facing treason charges for levying war against Nigerians and the Nigerian state.

“On another count, only a self-hating leader devoid of human compassion could cover his eyes from the horror and bestiality being meted to Nigerians not indigenous to the so-called Biafra enclave over these past years, but will be excited at rushing to offer protection to Nigeria’s misguided groups, while thumbing down our nation’s defence forces that have continued to sacrifice their lives, so we may survive as a nation under God.

“Is the senate president unaware of the more than 1,900 Internally Displaced Persons presently taking refuge at the Aba Central Mosque, the more than 800 IDPs now sheltering in the Aba central police station after the gruesome murder of its Divisional Police Officer and his men?

“Is the Senate President not aware of the killing fields in Sabon Fili where innocent sellers of fruits were subjected to the gory, slow but painful deaths, or the killing of many and destruction of the property of Northerners at Oyibo, in Rivers State?

“What has he said about the premeditated murder of 9 other Nigerians of Northern extraction at ich have been in circulation e

“It is indeed a tragedy of immense proportion if the Senate President will close his eyes to these genocidal acts, and instead attempt to incite an armed rebel group against state actors, just to score cheap political points.

“At this juncture, it has become necessary to ask all conscionable representatives of the Nigerian people, civil society activities, labour and its social partners, to stand up and be counted, by discharging their civic responsibility of exposing what is undoubtedly another hot pursuit against the Roghinga’s of 21st century Nigeria.”

This came just as IPOB on Friday commended Saraki and Southeast senators for opposing its proscription and terrorist tag. The group urged Saraki to fulfil his promise to investigate the clash between it and the Nigerian Army in Abia State that recently generated so much tension and allegedly led to loss of lives.

 Some members of the House of Representatives have described as “a tragedy of immense proportion”, Senate President Bukola Saraki’s opposition to the terrorist tag placed on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

They said that by his actions and words, the president of the Senate is supporting the group which has carried out genocide in some Nigerians in order to gain cheap political points.

Saraki had earlier in the week before the Federal Government eventually got an order proscribing and labelling IPOB as a terror group, argued that the Defence Headquarters DHQ categorisation of IPOB as a terrorist group was unconstitutional.

He had also faulted the group’s proscription by the South-east governors. According to Saraki, both the DHQ and the governors failed to follow constitutional process in their declaration, hence their actions were illegal and cannot stand.

But in their response, members of the House of Representatives under the aegis of Progressives Caucus, in a statement signed by Aiyu Madaki, Sani Zorro and Mohammed Soba lambasted Saraki for the position he took on the matter.

They also berated Senate deputy leader, Ike Ekweremadu for supporting the Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB.

While listing alleged killings that have been perpetrated by IPOB, the Reps members said, “It is indeed a tragedy of immense proportion if the Senate President will close his eyes to these genocidal acts, and instead attempt to incite an armed rebel group against state actors, just to score cheap political points”.

The lawmakers also said: “We were shocked beyond belief when our attention was brought to the statement credited to the Senate President, Abubakar Saraki in which he willy-nilly endorsed the murderous activities of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), based on arguments that are bereft of reason, rationality or logic.

“In fact, a clear pattern of overt support to the leader of the terrorist group had since been established under the watch of the Senate President, for some time now..

“In the past his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, had not only hosted, but put the full paraphernalia of his office – bullet-proof cars, uniformed policemen and operatives of the department of the state security service (DSS), and full complement of his staff on our nation’s payroll, to give solidarity and support to a secessionist leader facing treason charges for levying war against Nigerians and the Nigerian state.

“On another count, only a self-hating leader devoid of human compassion could cover his eyes from the horror and bestiality being meted to Nigerians not indigenous to the so-called Biafra enclave over these past years, but will be excited at rushing to offer protection to Nigeria’s misguided groups, while thumbing down our nation’s defence forces that have continued to sacrifice their lives, so we may survive as a nation under God.

“Is the senate president unaware of the more than 1,900 Internally Displaced Persons presently taking refuge at the Aba Central Mosque, the more than 800 IDPs now sheltering in the Aba central police station after the gruesome murder of its Divisional Police Officer and his men?

“Is the Senate President not aware of the killing fields in Sabon Fili where innocent sellers of fruits were subjected to the gory, slow but painful deaths, or the killing of many and destruction of the property of Northerners at Oyibo, in Rivers State?

“What has he said about the premeditated murder of 9 other Nigerians of Northern extraction at Asaba, Delta State – all of which have been in circulation especially in the social media, in the last few days?

“It is indeed a tragedy of immense proportion if the Senate President will close his eyes to these genocidal acts, and instead attempt to incite an armed rebel group against state actors, just to score cheap political points.

“At this juncture, it has become necessary to ask all conscionable representatives of the Nigerian people, civil society activities, labour and its social partners, to stand up and be counted, by discharging their civic responsibility of exposing what is undoubtedly another hot pursuit against the Roghinga’s of 21st century Nigeria.”

This came just as IPOB on Friday commended Saraki and Southeast senators for opposing its proscription and terrorist tag. The group urged Saraki to fulfil his promise to investigate the clash between it and the Nigerian Army in Abia State that recently generated so much tension and allegedly led to loss of lives.

 

EFCC declares ex-NSITF boss Olejeme wanted for allegedly diverting N69bn

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared as wanted Mrs Ngozi Juliet Olejeme a former Chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

This is coming close to two years after Ripples Nigeria carried an exclusive report published in May 2015, of how the NSTIF was rocked by allegations of misappropriation of the N12billion from Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) to the organisation between 2011 and 2014.

The workers’ union had been at daggers drawn with the management and board over the funds which was a subvention from the federal government coffers, among other infractions.

The matter blew open when some members of the in-house union picketed the NSITF headquarters in Abuja to press home their demand for backlog of entitlements being owed the staff.

This prompted Ripples Nigeria to dig deeper, and was able to obtain documents which indicated that fraud and mismanagement may have been at play at the agency under the watch of Olejeme and a former managing director of the agency, Mr. Umar Munir Abubakar.

Ripples Nigeria probe also unearthed a questionable recruitment exercises carried out by a consultant.

The EFCC in a statement stated that Mrs. Olejeme, who was also a one time governorship aspirant in Delta State, is wanted in a case of criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering.

Olejeme vied for the governorship of Delta State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 but lost out in the party primaries.

Read also: Exclusive… N12bn Scandal, Job Scam Rock NSITF

 

The former NSITF boss is alleged to have, along with Mr Abubakar, the former Managing Director of NSITF, mismanaged and diverted well over N69billion government funds into their personal accounts through the award of suspicious and bogus contracts to proxy companies.

Olejeme, according to the anti-graft agency, has refused to honour repeated invitations from it.

It said, “The fair-skinned suspect hails from Asaba, Oshimili South LGA of Delta State and speaks English and Igbo languages fluently.

“Her last known address is No 14 J.F. Kennedy Street, Asokoro, Abuja. Anybody having useful information as to her whereabouts should contact the Commission in its Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Maiduguri offices”.

NSCIA faults CAN’s ‘Islamophobia’, says Sunday was forced on Muslims as work-free day

Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has derided the Christian Association of Nigeria over its Islamisation of Nigeria claims.

It said despite the fact that Sunday was forced on Muslims as a work-free day, they have not cried of “Christianisation” of Nigeria by Christians.

NSCIA wondered why CAN despite its tolerance of Nigeria’s membership of Christian organisations, such as Red Cross Society, and adoption of Christian titles and emblems in different professions, “appears to be increasingly becoming Islamophobic and paranoid about its hate and intolerance of Islam.”

The Islamic council was responding to a recent allegation by CAN that the issuance of Sukuk bond by the Debt Management Office (DBO) was an attempt to turn Nigeria into an Islamic nation.

CAN had also argued that promoting a sectional religious financial policy was a violation of the constitution.
In a statement on Friday by its deputy secretary general, Salisu Shehu, NSCIA said that CAN should not pretend not to be aware that even the World Bank issues Sukuk bond.

According to NSCIA, several non-Muslim countries across Africa, Europe and Asia have Islamic Financial System instituted in their countries, especially Sukuk. Among the countries it said were Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Russia, China and Singapore among others.

“It would certainly be embarrassing for CAN to be told that the first and foremost state in Nigeria to submit application for loan to the Islamic Development Bank is a Christian-dominated state in the South-East.

“This has been the factor that made Muslims to tolerate several practices or things that are essentially Christian in nature and outlook, in substance and form and indeed in principle and practice, but imposed on us.

Read also: IPOB: Saraki ‘supporting’ genocide to score cheap political points – Reps

“We have not been talking of Christianisation because Sunday has been forced on us as a work-free day, or the Cross as our hospital sign and symbol, our membership of the International Red Cross, and many other things including almost all the titles of the heads of academic institutions (chancellor, provost, dean, rector, etc.).

“Despite this remarkable tolerance from Muslims over the years, CAN appears to be increasingly becoming Islamophobic and paranoid about its hate and intolerance of Islam, casting aspersions, unnecessarily overheating the polity and unjustifiably creating fear and distrust in the minds of peace-loving citizens of our great country,” the statement read in part.

NSCIA then called on CAN to in the spirit of biblical injunctions hold onto truth and shun statements capable of breeding hostility and promoting disharmony that might lead to conflict in the country.

BIAFRA: Kanu may have been abducted, Killed, his lawyer claims

September 20, 2017

By Editor

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, may have been killed by Nigerian soldiers who allegedly invaded his home in Umuahia, Abia State on September 14, his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has claimed.

Following Kanu’s continued silence since the purported raid of his home, there had been speculations that the IPOB leader had gone into hiding.

But his lawyer, Ejiofor, responding in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday alleged that Kanu may have been abducted or probably killed by the Nigerian Army who invaded his home.

“I have no doubt whatsoever that stories making round that my Client has fled outside Nigeria, were planted to divert attention from their murderous raid on my client’s house. I made last contact with my client few minutes into the bloody onslaught in his home on the 14th day of September 2017. Till date, I have not established further communication with him.

“The soldiers must have made possible contact with him on this 14th day of September 2017, when they invaded his house on a bloody raid, and by virtue of which position, they should tell the world if he was caught by fire of bullets in the hit of the bloody onslaught or he was arrested alive.

“In all probability, my client may have been killed by the invading soldiers who are now seeking ways to fool the world into believing that he has left the country. My request is that the military should produce my client wherever they kept him and stop diverting attention of the public,” part of the statement read.

Read also: Ohanaeze warns courts over FG’s move to brand IPOB terrorists

There have been allegations of human rights abuses by Nigerian soldiers in Abia after a clash broke out between them and IPOB members in the state. The soldiers under a military exercise code-named “Operation Python Dance” were deployed to the five eastern states of Nigeria to clampdown on the activities of violent agitators, kidnappers and criminals.

The branding of IPOB, which claims to have maintained a non-violent posture, as a terrorist group by the Defense Headquarters (DHQ) and its proscription by the governors of the Southeast has been described as unconstitutional by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and some senior lawyers in the country.

Shekau still elusive, as Army announces death of 5 Boko Haram commanders

The Nigerian Army said on Thursday it had killed a number of top Boko Haram commanders and many of their foot soldiers in the counter-insurgency operation in the North-East.
Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, made this disclosure in a statement on Thursday.
He stated that the operation was conducted jointly with the Nigerian Air Force.
Usman said the operation which was embarked upon based on “credible intelligence information”, targeted strategic Boko Haram hideouts, adding that “more details of successes achieved will be made available as the operation continues.”
The spokesperson named the five top Boko Haram commanders killed in the operation as Abu Dujana, Man Tahiru, a deputy to Boko Haram’s Hisba leader, Man Chari, Malam Abdullahi Abu Sa’ad and Goni Bamanga.

“The Nigerian military would continue with the concerted onslaught on the reported Boko Haram terrorists’ locations till they have been eliminated,” he added.
The military is currently engaged in a renewed counter-insurgency effort in the North-East, confronted by a resurgent Boko Haram that has become more emboldened in recent times, carrying out a spate of daring attacks across the North-East.
These operations are also being undertaken against the backdrop of the re-emergent, still-elusive deadly leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, whose unsuccessful killing was the target of the now-elapsed 40-day ultimatum issued by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.

Sallah: Customs to prevent smuggling, sale of frozen products

The Zone B of the Nigeria Customs Service Kaduna has placed its personnel on alert to prevent smuggling and sale of frozen products during Sallah , its Controller, Aminu Dahiru , has said .
Dahiru said in a telephone interview on Thursday in Minna that additional manpower had been deployed to all border posts to also prevent illegal importation of weapons during the celebration.
“ We have placed our officers at the border posts on alert to prevent illegal importation of frozen poultry products and dangerous weapons during and after the Sallah festivities .
“ We want to ensure that smugglers and other bad elements do not take advantage of the festivities to bring in prohibited items particularly weapons , vehicle, rice and frozen products, ” the controller said .
Dahiru appealed to residents of border communities to support the NCS in tackling smuggling because of its negative impact on the economy and livelihood of Nigerians.

Court jails property agent for absconding with N1.6m

Published August 31, 2017

A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court , Abuja , on Thursday sentenced one Ibrahim Ahmed, a house agent , to 16 months imprisonment for absconding with a prospective tenant ’ s N 1, 650, 000 .
The judge , Mr Abubakar Sadiq , convicted Ahmed after he admitted committing the offence .
Ahmed of House 8 Etabg Obuil Crescent Lugbe , Airport Road , Abuja , was sentenced on a two -count of criminal breach of trust and cheating.
The judge, however , gave the convict N 30, 000 option of fine , and warned him to view the reprieve as a second chance to become a better citizen.
Sadiq also ordered the convict to pay N 1, 650, 000 as restitution to the complainant, adding that paying back the amount was a key condition for him to regain his freedom.
Mrs Florence Auhioboh , the prosecuting officer , earlier told the court that Ibrahim Sherifat of Plot 759, Solomon Lar Road , Utako, reported the matter at the Utako Police Station on May 8.
Auhioboh averred that Saherifat gave the convict his apartment located at Utako Abuja to give as rent to a tenant .
She said that the convict who rented out the apartment for N 1, 650, 000, however failed to remit the said money to the complainant, but absconded with the money, but was later arrested.
Auhioboh informed the court that the convict also issued the complainant two fake First Bank cheques .
Auhioboh said that effort made to recover the money from the convict after his arrest failed , even though he made a confessional statement admitting to the offences .
The prosecutor said that the offences violated Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code .

NAFDAC nabs two selling Analgin injection in Aba

Published August 31, 2017

The National Agency for Food , Drug Administration and Control has arrested a man and a woman in Aba for selling banned Analgin injection to unsuspecting residents.
Mr . Olisa Okeke, the Abia Coordinator of NAFDAC, made this known on Thursday in Aba in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria .
He said although the woman had been released on bail, she was being monitored and would be helping NAFDAC to further the investigation to burst other dealers in that drug ring in Aba .
Okeke said that the man who also stocked the products in his shop has been made to pay a fine of N 200, 000, while NAFDAC confiscated the remaining drugs in his shop and sealed it.
However, he said that full details of the suspects would not reveal now as they were helping in the investigation and possible arrest of those in their ring .
“ We got some expired injections in a shop and also found that the woman who is the owner is a nurse and she is using Analgin injection , a banned product .
“ As I am talking to you now the woman has been arrested and have been taken on bail , she is helping NAFDAC to further the investigation .
“ We are trying to trace where she bought the analgin injection . Novalgin tablet and Analgin are banned drugs .
“ We also got a shop around Umuigbo area where we found analgin injection stocked ; we confiscated it and sealed the shop. He has paid N 200, 000 fine, ’’ Okeke said .
The coordinator said that his office stepped up surveillance on faking and selling of expired and adulterated drugs and food products in Abia during the month of August.
He said that the rains and bad roads have not prevented the agency from discharging its mandate.
“ I can say that within August we have done a lot of activities and we did not want the rains to deter us because we know the unscrupulous elements in the society , the fakers, would always use this as the period to do their wicked work so we did not want the rain to deter us .
“ Most times, wherever our car could not take us , we hire tricycle or motorcycle . There was an operation we had at Omumua road, our officers were able to access the place with a motorcycle and were able to arrest the woman who operates a maternity , ” he said .
Okeke, therefore , called on residents to report unscrupulous persons faking products or selling expired drugs or food products to NAFDAC to safeguard lives .