The Osun State Police Command has paraded a 27-year-old man, Abdulazeez Tunde Ibrahim for swindling a car dealer and paying the sum of N2,650:00 for a Toyota Camry valued at N2,650,000:00 in Osogbo.

The Osun State Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode while addressing journalists said immediately the case was reported to the command by a car dealer, Kazeem Ogunjobi, detectives swung into action and the Toyota Camry car was recovered in a painter’s workshop in Iwo.

Olokode said the shop belonged to one Olayinka Bashiru and that he was already changing the colour of the car from green to gold as he was instructed by Abdulazeez.

The Osun police boss however stated that the suspect will be charged to court after the completion of investigation into the case.

Abdulazeez while being paraded by the Police Command on Friday also disclosed that on Saturday, November 26, he met a car dealer and after negotiating the price of a Toyota Camry car arrived at an agreed sum of N2,650,000:00.

The suspect also revealed that he later transferred the sum of N2,650:00 to his First Bank account of the car dealer.

According to him, “Unknowingly to him, he gave me the documents of the paper and I left.

“On Friday last week, the police came to my house to arrest me and I took them to where the car was.

“I have already taken the car to a painter in Iwo and I instructed him to change the colour of the car from green to gold.”The Osun State Police Command has paraded a 27 year old man, Abdulazeez Tunde Ibrahim for swindling a car dealer and paying the sum of N2,650:00 for a Toyota Camry valued at N2,650,000:00 in Osogbo.”

The Osun State Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode while addressing journalists said immediately the case was reported to the command by a car dealer, Kazeem Ogunjobi, detectives swung into action and the Toyota Camry car was recovered in a painter’s workshop in Iwo.

Olokode said the shop belonged to one Olayinka Bashiru and that he was already changing the colour of the car from green to gold as he was instructed by Abdulazeez.

The Osun police boss however stated that the suspect will be charged to court after the completion of investigation into the case.

Abdulazeez while being paraded by the Police Command on Friday also disclosed that on Saturday, November 26, he met a car dealer and after negotiating the price of a Toyota Camry car arrived at an agreed sum of N2,650,000:00.

The suspect also revealed that he later transferred the sum of N2,650:00 to his bank account of the car dealer.

According to him, “Unknowingly to him, he gave me the documents of the paper and I left.

“On Friday last week, the police came to my house to arrest me and I took them to where the car was.

“I have already taken the car to a painter in Iwo and I instructed him to change the colour of the car from green to gold.”

Osun: Police parade man who bought car for N2,650

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has lamented that Nigerians are currently in pain over the state of the nation ranging from deteriorating security situation to economic issues.

The governor who spoke on Friday during the swearing-in of the new National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP led by its Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu and other members of the National Working Committee, NWC, appealed to Nigerians to work together for the restoration of the country’s glory.

He urged all citizens of the country to put partisan politics, religion and ethnic sentiments aside and team up with the PDP for the rescue of the nation.

Governor Ortom made the appeal on Friday while speaking with Government House Press Crew in Abuja after the
The Governor stated that due to the abysmal performance of the APC, the economy of the country has been completely ruined with millions of Nigerians without jobs while the country is going through the worst security challenges.

In his words, “I want to appreciate God and to say that despite all that is happening economically, security wise and socially where Nigerians are mourning, in pain and lamenting every day, nobody is happy again that we have a country called Nigeria.

“But with the swearing in of a new leadership of the PDP in place which is an alternative to the APC-led Government, I am hopeful for myself, for my state and for my country Nigeria. And this is a project that every one of us must ensure that we work towards rescuing Nigeria and rebuilding it as our National chairman has said.”

Governor Ortom lamented that while killings of innocent citizens are going on everyday in the country by bandits who have formed themselves a parallel Government, President Muhammadu Buhari was comfortable attending Trade Fair in Dubai instead of working to fix the challenges.

The Governor expressed hope that the coming in of Dr. Ayu and other members of the National Working Committee marks the beginning of the rescue mission and called on the people to work together to rebuild the country which the founding fathers envisaged.

No one is happy anymore – Gov Ortom laments state of nation

Manchester United interim manager, Ralf Rangnick, has warned Paul Pogba that he will not try to convince him to remain at the club if he decides to leave Old Trafford next summer.

Rangnick gave the warning on Friday during his pre-match press conference ahead of Man United’s Premier League tie with Norwich City on Saturday evening.

Pogba’s current contract at Man United will expire at the end of the season.

The France international is free to discuss terms with clubs outside the Premier League in January.

Pogba is believed to be still deciding his future and has not ruled out signing a new deal at Man United.

He is currently in Dubai where he is recovering from a thigh injury he sustained during the November international break.

When asked if he could influence Pogba’s decision, Rangnick categorically stated that there is no point trying to keep hold of a player who is already looking elsewhere.

“I wouldn’t say he’s not worth keeping but, of course, players have to want to play and stay for a club and a big club like Manchester United,” Rangnick said.

“If a player does not want to play for a club like Manchester United in the medium or long-term, I don’t think it makes sense to convince him to change his mind.

“This is such a massive club with such fantastic support from the supporters, I don’t think anyone in the club should try to convince a player to stay. But on the other hand, let’s wait and see.

“I spoke with him for 15 minutes over the phone a few days ago. Let’s have him come back, get fully fit, train with the team and then see where we stand, how the team has developed by then.

“He can be an important player but this is true for all the other players that we have and I’m not just the coach of Paul Pogba, I’m also the coach of all the other players and my ambition is to make them better, improve each individual player, and this is only possible by improving the performance of the whole team.

“In football it’s impossible to develop players individually without the team being successful and without the team being sustainable.”

EPL: I’ll not try to convince you – Rangnick issues warning to Paul Pogba

Former Manchester United striker, Michael Owen, has predicted some of the Premier League match-day 16 fixtures.

Chelsea will host Leeds United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, while Liverpool will face Aston Villa at the Anfield.

Manchester United will clash with Norwich City in an away Premier League tie on Saturday evening, while Arsenal will tackle Southampton at the Emirates.

Manchester City will host Wolves at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon,

Providing his predictions, Owen told BetVictor: “Wolves are solid defensively and will stay in this game, but City will have too much quality here. 2-0 City.”

Arsenal v Southampton: Commenting on the Arsenal vs Southampton game, Owen said, “After a couple of disappointing away trips, I’m sure Arsenal will be glad to be back at home. They aren’t playing well at the minute, so I don’t think this will be emphatic, but I do think they will win.”

Speaking on the Chelsea vs Leeds United, Owen said, “I expect to see a response from Chelsea here. This looks a good matchup, and I can see them winning 2-0.”

On the Liverpool vs Aston Villa clash, Owen said, “Liverpool have a lot of momentum and look back to their best after a difficult season last year. I can see a 3-1 win.”

Speaking on the Norwich City vs Man United game, Owen said, “United already look more organized though and I’m sure we will see more improvements here.

“This looks like a comfortable win for United to me, 2-0.”

EPL: Michael Owen predicts Chelsea vs Leeds, Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, other games

A suspected illegal gunrunner has been arrested by the Adamawa State Police Command.

The Command said in a statement released Friday night that it effected the arrest while on a stop-and-search operation.

“The achievement was made by the Command’s operatives attached to Gombi Division in a joint operation with Hunters,” the Command said in the statement.

It specified that this happened while the operatives were on a stop-and-search operation along Ngada–Gombi road.

The statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Suleiman Nguroje, said the operatives intercepted and apprehended the suspect identified simply as one Remos, a 23-year-old resident of Sheno Belta village in Gombi Local Government Area.

“The suspect, being a notorious gun dealer, bought and smuggled in the weapons from Askira Uba local government area of Borno State,” the police command stated.

The command said it established that the suspect was on his way to distribute the weapons to his collaborators.

It assured the public that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Barde, was committed to, “massive and well-planned deployment of both human and other operational assets of the Command to reinforce and consolidate on keeping Adamawa safe, especially in this festive period.”

Illegal gunrunner nabbed in Adamawa

Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, has denied the club will sell captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the January transfer window.

Aubameyang has gone six games without a goal since Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa in October.

Reports had emerged that Arsenal would seek to sell the 32-year-old due to his current form.

Asked if plans were afoot to part company with Aubameyang, Arteta said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League tie with Southampton on Saturday: “We have never discussed something like this.

“When players are in difficulty, we must give them our support.

“Obviously, when a player is not scoring, it’s affecting his confidence, it’s affecting the mood and probably the belief, but you have to rebel against this situation, don’t accept it and feel sorry for yourself.

“It’s all about patches, every player has patches and moments, and it’s about trying to make the big moments and the good moments and the form when a player is scoring goals to try and maintain it, and try to reduce the time when they don’t.”

EPL: Mikel Arteta clears air on Arsenal selling Aubameyang

The Bauchi State chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) on Friday urged parents and relatives of rape victims not to destroy evidence of the act by rushing to clean up the victims but to allow for proper prosecution of the culprits.

This was stated by FIDA Secretary in the state, Hauwa Ahmed Abubakar, at a media roundtable hosted by the state chapter of the Nigeria Association Of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in collaboration with PLAN international held at the Press Centre secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

According to her, destruction of evidence before reporting to the appropriate quarters was the major reason it was difficult to prosecute most rape cases.

Abubakar explained that whenever there was a rape case, the victim should first be taken to the hospital and the police station for evidence preservation, adding that after doing that, she should be cleaned.

“Without evidence, they cannot do much. The onus is now on all of us, especially the media to make the society to be aware of the need for evidence preservation.

“What is important especially in rape cases is that, once it happens, there is need not to wash the victim which is very hard. When a girl is raped, the first thing is to tidy her up and in doing so, you find the evidences washed away,” Abubakar said.

She said there was an appropriate law in place in the state to use to meet stiff sanctions against rape perpetrators.

The FIDA scribe further explained that though the implementation of the Violence Against Person (Prohibition) Act, enacted to protect victims against gender based violence, was yet to commence in the state, Section 29 of the Penal Code was still in operation for use to convict culprits.

In her remarks, gender specialist, Helen John decried the high prevalence of gender based violence in Bauchi State, informing that statistics revealed that 22 percent of women experience gender based violence in the state.

John informed that one in three women experience gender based violence globally, adding that both men and women experience one form of violence or the other.

Don’t rush to destroy rape evidence – Bauchi FIDA urges victims’ parents

The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide on Friday said the planned visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State would be instrumental to the unconditional release of the leader of the outlawed Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu from DSS custody.

The Apex Igbo socio-cultural group in a statement signed by the Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and made available to journalists in Abakaliki, warned youths from the South East zone to stop any action that will truncate the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State.

The group stated that those opposing the planned visit of President Buhari to Ebonyi State are incapable and incompetent of carrying out such rogue operations, adding that if they fail, it will lead to their own extinction and disastrous cessation of existence and relevance.

The statement reads in part: “Any attempt to obstruct, thwart or hinder the planned President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Ebonyi State will have disastrous consequences on the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu and destroy the efforts of Igbo leaders, led by Pa Mbazulike Amaechi and religious leadership in Igboland, as there are no forces and opposition to hinder the rights of a sitting President of a country from visiting any section of the country under his territory and jurisdiction.

“And those opposing the planned visit of President Buhari are incapable and incompetent of carrying out these rogue operations and if they fail, it will lead to their own extinction and disastrous cessation of existence and relevance.

Ohanaeze, however, urged the leadership of IPOB to stop any attempt or action that will warrant President Buhari to decline in actions that will lead to the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.

“IPOB shouldn’t give credence to the antagonism and friction of Northern groups like Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Coalition of Northern groups and Arewa Youths that President Buhari shouldn’t release Nnamdi Kanu, because this imbecility and absurdity will make President Buhari to decline in actions that will lead to the release of Nnamdi Kanu.

“Ndigbo will welcome President Buhari to Ebonyi State in line with Igbo traditional culture and norms of welcoming esteemed visitors. This is another window of opportunities for the ongoing persuasive engagement with President Buhari by Ndigbo, to grant amnesty and Presidential pardons to all Ipob/ ESN and other Biafran agitators including Nnamdi Kanu and others who are languishing in numerous detention facilities across the country.”

The group also tasked the south east governors to do everything possible to ensure that the release of Nnamdi Kanu is secured as soon as possible.

“Southeast Governors led by Governor Umahi will secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu and others in Abakiliki. We have implicit confidence that the southeast political leadership and Igbo leadership led by Ohanaeze Ndigbo will seal the deal and facilitate the release of Nnamdi Kanu. It’s predestined that Abakiliki is the venue where Ndigbo will secure the release of all detained freedom fighters including Nnamdi Kanu.”

“IPOB should without further delay rescind and withdraw the earlier decisions to obstruct the planned Presidential visit to Ebonyi State and disown the earlier provocative statements or unless that they want Nnamdi Kanu to remain in detention till the end of the year 2023 when another President will succeed Buhari.

“IPOB should apologize to Pa Mbazulike Amaechi and Southeast Governors for ignorantly hampering and thwarting their diplomatic and tactful efforts to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu, as diplomatic ways remained the best approach to ensure that President Buhari will keep his previous promise to look for a political solution to the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB should end all hostilities and resort to prayers and traditional ordinances until Presidential pardon and amnesty is given to all Biafran agitators,” the group stated.

Buhari’s visit to Ebonyi key to release of Nnamdi Kanu from detention – Ohanaeze

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday, sent a high-level delegation, made up of heads of the nation’s intelligence and security services, to Sokoto and Katsina States in response to the recent spike in bandits’ activities. His spokesman, Garba Shehu stated this in a statement on Friday.

2. Following the Federal Government’s restriction of its flights, Emirates Airlines has suspended all its flights to Nigeria indefinitely. Emirates in an update on its website said all its flights to Nigeria would be suspended until the issues between UAE and Nigeria are resolved.

3. President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians and the international community of a free and fair election as well as peaceful transfer of power in 2023. The president gave the assurance in his remark at a Virtual Summit for Democracy organised by President Joe Biden of the United States.

4. The National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, says the new National Working Committee (NWC) of the party will be guided by consultation, teamwork, internal democracy and national interest. Ayu stated this in his address at the inauguration of the NWC in Abuja on Friday, assuring that the new team would strengthen the party’s internal democratic processes.

5. The people of Atta Community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, woke up Friday morning to behold the remains of their traditional ruler, Eze Edwin Azike. The monarch was said to have been abducted by unidentified gunmen on Thursday in the community.

6. A group of Northern youths has revealed that following the security challenge that has engulfed Nigeria, most especially Northern Nigeria which is now the epicentre of kidnapping-for-ransom, the best option for President Muhammadu Buhari is to humbly resign. Isah Abubakar, President of Northern Youth Council of Nigeria said this in a statement on Friday.

7. Telecom sector professionals are crying that the rising spending on tech-related foreign contents will undermine the gains so far made, and eventually cripple the sector, if something is not done urgently to stem the tide. According to the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, the annual outflow of foreign exchange for the telecommunications sector is approximately $2.16 billion.

8. Members of ASUU around the Yola zone, Adamawa State, have said they will not accept any plea from Nigerians to shelve an impending strike. In a press conference at the NUJ secretariat in Yola on Friday, the Yola Zone said Nigerians should blame the Federal Government for its failure to comply with the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

9. The Islamic Movement in Nigeria has once again called for justice for hundreds of its members allegedly killed by the Nigerian military in December 2015 following a clash with soldiers in the convoy of the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), in Zaria, Kaduna State. This was contained in an editorial issued by Prof. I.M. Mshelgaru.

10. The crisis in the Edo State Practicing Butchers Association, yesterday, degenerated to shooting between rival factions of the association with the President of National Butchers Association, Chief Osamede Adun calling on the state Commissioner of Police and the government to invite the parties before things get out of hand.

Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Saturday morning

The Zamfara State House of Assembly has lamented that it was apparently unsatisfied, disturbed and worried over the attitude of some unscrupulous government officials as well as the general public on indiscriminate allocation and erection of illegal structures on government buildings and reserved areas in Gusau, the state capital.

The House noted that this include all other Local Government Areas of the state, saying that these structures were erected without due adherence to the laid down rules, saying that it has in its last plenary passed a resolution, suspending the continuation of such illegality forthwith.

The House has also directed its committee on lands, Housing and town planning to immediately swing into action to fully investigate the legality or otherwise of such indiscriminate erection of such structures and report back to plenary within two months from yesterday.

Speaker, Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya who presided over plenary mandated for far reaching recommendations and resolutions after allowing the sponsor of the motion, Deputy House leader, Hon Nasiru Bello Lawal Bungudu to set the ball rolling by calling on his colleagues to critically observe how the general public in conjunction with some unscrupulous government officials in the state who are in custody of land allocation and town planing succeeded in distorting the Gusau master plan.

According to him, by extension the entire master plan of the state is distorted through this dubious behaviour of illegal allocation of lands and erection of structures within government buildings and reserve areas.

Citing different locations in Gusau, the state capital where such illegality exist in the open by turning government reserve areas to plazas and market places just to buttress his point, Hon Nasiru Bello Lawal said such shameful acts exist only in Zamfara State when compared with other sister states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, stressing that such unwholesome acts cannot be practicable in Kano or Kaduna States.

Hon. Lawal Bungudu wondered why statutory government agencies responsible for securing urban and regional planning for Zamfara State folds their arms and allow the proliferations of such illegality to continue unabated since inception of the state till date.

In their speeches, both the House leader, Hon Faruk Musa Dosara, Deputy Chief Whip, Hon Ibrahim Muhammad Tela Bukkuyum, Hon Abdulnasir Ibrahim Gayari, Hon Nura Dahiru Sabon Birnin Dan Ali as well as Hon Sani Dahiru Adabka unanimously agreed with the submissions of their colleagues and strongly recommend that all these illegal structures currently going on across the state be stopped forthwith.

After carefully listening to all the arguments advanced by different House members, the chief presiding officer of the House, Hon. Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya ordered the standing House Committee on lands, Housing and town planning to investigate all these allegations and event went further to give them eight terms of reference that will aid them in carrying out their assignment with ease and report back to plenary within two months from yesterday.

Part of the terms of reference of the committee include to determine the existence of Gusau master plan and strategic infrastructural plan.

Zamfara Assembly enacts law on illegal structures

Former State Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Cross River State central, Chief Cletus Obun has called on Governor Benedict Ayade to sack Dr Betta Edu, and other key officials in the health ministry over alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 and consequently compromising the health of the people of the state.

Obun who is a member of the governing board of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, also declared intention to sue the commissioner and health officials for disclosing the health history of his wife to the public against medical ethics.

He alleged that the state government had abandoned his wife, Mrs Glory Obun, a laboratory scientist in the state government-owned Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) when she tested positive for COVID-19. He alleged further that when she was referred to the UCTH Isolation centre, she was rejected and asked to go away since the place was not functional instead of proffering other protocols to keep away from mingling with the public.

He expressed surprise that whereas there has been spike in the number of infected persons and attendant high number of deaths of victims in the state, yet the state has no surveillance mechanism to monitor but continues cover to cover in secrecy the COVID-19 situations in the state.

“I feel very strongly that some members of Ayade’s Government are bent on sabotaging his administration. They have, therefore, compromised the health sector.

“I would like the Governor to ensure that his appointees do not become permanent as even permanent secretaries are never permanent. There is a huge deficit in performance by the appointees in the health sector.

“There has been alarming increase in the number of COVID-19 related cases and deaths in the state, yet it is shrouded in secrecy by the health authorities.

“What’s does it add to my political profile for me to come out to draw attention to the way they have treated my wife. If they can do this to me, what happens to the vegetable sellers, those without voices and visibility.

“I also feel very insulted and pained that the Commissioner for Health in the State, Dr Betta Edu and one Dr Genevieve whom the NCDC Abuja introduced to me as their contact person in the state could say my wife does not have COVID-19 but hemorrhage and other complications. In any case, why should they bring up the medical history of my wife instead of focusing on the COVID-19. This is very unethical. It is against medical rules, and I am not wasting time than to ask my lawyers to handle the matter…”

Reacting, the Commissioner for Health insisted that Obun’s wife does not have COVID-19 going by her own confession but other complications and underlying critical health issues.

She said Obun was raising unnecessary alarm and also blackmailing Gov Ayade.

She denied that she ever disclosed Obun’s wife health conditions.

“If he needs our supports, he needed to have come out and say so. It’s quite unfair for him to come to the public to lie. Even his wife has confessed that it is not COVID-19.”

APC chieftain, Obun urges Ayade to sack Health Commissioner over alleged handling of COVID-19

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has sacked the General Manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Eze Okwulehie.

This was disclosed in a release signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barrister Chris Ezem and issued to journalists in Umuahia, the Abia State capital on Friday.

The rationale behind Eze’s shocking removal was not disclosed in the release.

DAILY POST recalls that the removal of the ASEPA GM was coming barely two days after the Abia State House of Assembly had on Wednesday, at its plenary, bemoaned the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in some areas of the state.

The Abia Assembly leadership also regretted that the streets and roads in Umuahia, the state capital, and Aba have been taken over by refuse, emphasising that the former had become an eyesore, which made him have an interface with the General Manager of Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA).

This followed a presentation of a matter of urgent public importance by the member representing Umuahia North State Constituency and the House Committee Chairman on Environment, Hon Kelechi Onuzuruike.

The State House of Assembly further resolved to summon the ASEPA General Manager through its committee on Environment.

It equally directed the Assembly leadership to report back to the house on the summon on 13th of December, 2021.

However, according to the release over Okwulehie’s immediate removal, Governor Ikpeazu further directed the SSG, Chris Ezem to oversee the activities of the State Environmental agency in interim capacity.

The Abia Government’s release partly read, “the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu has approved the immediate removal from office of Mr. Eze Okwulehie, General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Umuahia.

“To this end, the Governor directs the Secretary to Abia State Government, Barr. Chris Ezem to oversee the activities of the Agency in the interim.

“This directive takes immediate effect.”

Abia: Ikpeazu sacks Eze Okwulehie over dumped refuse in Umuahia

Barcelona’s 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week means they will play Europa League football in 2022.

The LaLiga giants are among the 24 teams that will be in Monday’s draw for Europe’s second tier competition.

Xavi Hernandez’s team will be looking to win the Europa League for the first time in their history.

Barca can face Braga, Dynamo Zagreb, Lazio, Napoli, Olympiacos or Rangers in the knockout play-off round.

The round of 32 has been eliminated from the Europa League format. Instead, the top two teams from eight groups will join the clubs that finished in third place in the Champions League, to make up the field for the knockout stage.

The group winners will essentially receive a bye in the next round and won’t start their knockout stage journey until the round of 16.

They will wait until the UEL group runners-up and the UCL third-place finishers duel in the knockout play-offs, which will narrow the field down from 24 to 16 by the end of February.

Europa League: Clubs that Barcelona can face in play-off round revealed

Jama’atu Nasril Islam ( JNI), the apex Muslim organisation in Nigeria, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, has expressed concern over the government’s apparent inability to confront the security situation in parts of Nigeria.

It noted that its position was reinforced by the government’s inaction to hold erring security officials responsible, saying that there was a clear essence of lack of accountability.

In a statement signed by Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, the JNI Secretary-General noted that in all climes, the government is essentially in place to protect and safeguard human life from being killed, adding that Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution unambiguously affirms that human life is sacrosanct.

It explained that it is utterly disgusting, heartrending and unprecedented the waylaying of unarmed innocent and defenceless passengers and their subsequent burning beyond recognition by the heartless and rampaging bandits at Gidan Bawa village, in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

According to the statement, “the government isn’t perturbed and no concrete action is seemed to have been taken,” saying that even the media outcry is trifled, compared to similar incidences in other parts of Nigeria.

The JNI added that from all indications, despite the establishment of combined security forces along known routes where bandits operate, they still carry out their dastardly acts freely.

The statement lamented that the government had been unable to halt the operations of bandits against innocent citizens, particularly in North-Western Nigeria, adding that it is compelled to assume that government seems oblivious to the sufferings and agonies of her citizens as a result of the relentless activities of the bandits.

JNI condemned in the strongest terms the senseless and barbaric act, along with other equally disheartened bloodletting and carnage, stressing that all other acts of arson attacks, attempted prison jailbreaks, bomb blasts in Oyo, Kogi, Plateau, Yobe and Borno states and many of such irrepressible acts stand condemned.

JNI sent its heartfelt condolences to the families of the commuters, all officers and men that died in active service, as well as the people and government of Borno, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kogi, Oyo, Niger, Kaduna-Abuja Road, Kebbi, Plateau and Yobe States that have suffered in recent times various degrees of violence and Nigeria in general.

It called to the federal government to rise up to its primary, cum constitutional responsibility of protecting and securing citizens, adding that “Nigerians are desperately yearning for concrete actions against all forms of criminalities as silence is not golden given the most unfortunate spate of the horrendous butchery of human lives in the Nigerian state.”

The statement stated that the Northern Governors’ Forum should rise above board and collectively end the new normal eroding the heritage of the north, saying that they should learn from their colleagues of the southern extraction.

The statement observed that government’s silence over the 1000 Housing Estate bomb blast in Maiduguri, the Jos Prison Break and the burnt commuters along Sabon Birni Sokoto road, not to mention the multitude of carnages in Sokoto – Zamfara axis, calls for serious sober reflection.

It said that the federal government should be seen to be proactive on security matters, as well as assure and assuage citizens’ fears at critical moments of grief.

It noted that the recurrent security challenges such as kidnappings, armed robberies, rising bomb blasts and attacks by Boko Haram cum ISWAP insurgents, in addition to ethnic violence here and there within Nigeria, is alarming.

It explained that ‘government should take the bull by the horn by prosecuting promoters of hate speech and tame the rising cases of banditry in Nigeria, otherwise it would become a norm that cannot be challenged as government should act fast before Nigerians are consumed by these self-inflicted maladies.”

While expressing its condolences to all the victims of the unfortunate killings, it called on both the politicians and non-governmental organisations to strengthen their cooperation and synergy aimed at finding a lasting solution to those spate of killings and destructions.

Insecurity: State of the nation worrisome – Jama’atu Nasril Islam

Chief Audu Ogbeh, chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has advised the South-East leaders and stakeholders to lobby if they want to produce the nation’s next President.

He assured them that they would not get the presidency if they resort to threats and blackmail.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna, the ACF suggested that political parties should also be left with the zoning of the presidency.

He observed that the management of political parties had become low, saying that parties should be responsible for zoning the presidency.

According to him, “The political parties today have abandoned the constitutional responsibilities of holding their elected leaders accountable.”

Recalling his days as the National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ogbeh said that he organized the first and the only national conference of the PDP where they sat down with the president, then Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and other governors and asked them to account for what they did since they assumed office.

He added that party management was hopelessly low in Nigeria, adding that unless political parties were accountable to the people, there would be no good governance.

He enjoined the Igbos that democracy encourages political power-seekers to be friendly and reach out widely to stakeholders across the country in order to win their respective support.

Chief Audu Ogbeh advised that if the South-East people want to have 2023 presidency, they should begin to lobby, go round the country, talk to people, lamenting that what Nigerians were seeing was that there was so much hatred and attacks, especially on social media about the 2023 presidency.

He stated that nobody had come to them to say he wants to contest, stressing that they would support whomever any party throws up because what they need most is peace.

The chairman of ACF assured that they were not going to endorse people who cannot do the job because if they make a bad choice the people will suffer for it.

He explained that ACF is not a political party but that all they want to see was peace and harmony everywhere ahead of the 2023 general elections, during and even after.

On insecurity in the country, Chief Ogbeh, who is a former minister of agriculture said, “This is barbarism. We are all depressed, we are concerned, we are sad. In most cases, we whispered to governments at all levels about what to do to curtail insecurity, and where we have the opportunity, we make suggestions.”

2023 presidency: ACF advises Igbo to lobby