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In the spirit of the June 12 Democracy Day celebration, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has granted pardon to 41 inmates serving in different correctional centres across the state.
The governor also commuted the death sentence of 45 condemned prisoners to prison terms.
Speaking at the 2024 Democracy Day in Abeokuta, Abiodun said the decision was in exercising his prerogative of mercy as the governor of the state.
“Government has a duty to uphold democratic values by consistently applying principles of mercy, justice, and the rule of law. In this vein, the Nigerian Constitution empowers me to exercise a prerogative of mercy to anyone convicted of an offense in Ogun State.
“Having received the guidance of the Ogun State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, I have signed the appropriate warrants ordering the release of 41 convicts currently imprisoned across different correctional facilities in Ogun State. I have also signed warrants converting the death sentences of 45 inmates to prison sentences.
“This gesture signals a break from past grievances and a move towards a more inclusive and compassionate society where merciful second chances are granted to deserving offenders.
“All convicts who have received this gesture have shown remorse for their crimes, acquired skills and certifications in prison, with several of them receiving university degrees from the National Open University of Nigeria. They have also demonstrated verified good conduct during their imprisonment,” he said.
Emphasizing on the significance of the celebration, Abiodun said it marks the triumph of democracy.
Late Moshood Kasimawo Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) was the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was annulled by the military. This was despite the election being adjudged as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history.
“June 12, 1993, stands as a watershed moment in this journey. On that particular day, Nigerians transcended differences of tribe, gender, and even the unique joint Muslim-Muslim ticket to speak unanimously through the ballot.
“They elected the late Chief Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola and Babagana Kingibe of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) as President and Vice-President, respectively,” Abiodun stated.
According to the governor, “That election remains a pivotal moment in our country’s democratic history. It has become the benchmark against which the successes of subsequent elections are measured. For all its import, it reminds us of the power of unity, resilience, and the collective determination to uphold the principles of democracy.
“It is a testament to the strength and resilience of the Nigerian people, who have shown unwavering commitment to democracy and the belief in a better future.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Lamuwa, has denied accusations of sexual harassment leveled against him by a married ministry employee, Mrs. Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi.
Mrs. Ajayi, through a petition to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, filed by her lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), outlined alleged instances of harassment.
In a document seen by THE WHISTLER, Lamuwa through his lawyers, denied the allegations stating:
“We are legal representatives of Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa (hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and have been authorised to make the following statement on his behalf, in response to allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by Mrs Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, an aide to the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“The media, particularly the social media has been inundated with the digital copy of a petition written by legal representatives of Mrs. Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi against Amb. Lamuwa. This petition was clearly leaked in order to generate sympathy for her unsubstantiated claims.
“We wish to state categorically that our client has never made any sexual advances towards Mrs. Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, who he is aware is a married woman, neither has he ever made suggestive comments or innuendos that requested any form of untoward relationship between himself and her.
“Our client distinctly recalls the events that took place at the ministry’s retreat on October 7th 2023 where Mrs Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi claims that he invited her to his room. Our client states categorically that, he never made such an invitation and that his only communication with Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi, which was an overt one, was where he checked on her, like he did to all participants on whether they had been well-lodged in their hotels.
“He further recalls that the instance where he spoke of her as a nursing mother, during the same retreat was in a colloquial conversation they were having with other participants, where one participant even responded jokingly that when a woman says ‘her baby’ it could mean either her husband or one of her children, of which he innocuously joked asking “how big is the baby?” Our client maintains that those conversations were made jokingly and sees their misinterpretation as malicious and with ill-intent.
“Our client also maintains that it is an absurdity for Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi to claim that he invited her to Hong Kong, given that the conversation they were both having was on how Honk Kong had digitised its work processes as far back as 1999. Our client wonders how such a conversation became interpreted as an invitation for her to travel alongside himself knowing fully well that she is an aide to the minister. How can she possibly leave the minister to follow the permanent secretary, on a vacation? Would that not be the height of delusion for the one requesting, as well as the one heeding to the request?
“It is clear that the minister’s aide has misinterpreted ordinary conversations, made openly and in the presence of other participants, for untoward intentions. We believe that these allegations are directly tied to our client’s firm objections raised regarding improper requests that Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi made, particularly to financial matters in the ministry.
“For example, Mrs. Fajemirokun-Ajayi made a trip to the World Economic Forum (Davos), of which she sought a reimbursement from the ministry for. Our client firmly explained to her that while the ministry may look at avenues to refund her expenses, it is not the appropriate process for a trip to be made without an approval, and then funded with taxpayers money. after the fact.
“Further to this, is the fact of Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi’s unfamiliarity with civil service rules and processes where she had requested from our client access to policy files and even financial records of high-level activities of the ministry. By no means, should the permanent secretary, as chief accounting officer of the ministry provide such sensitive documents to an aide of the minister, worse via a WhatsApp chat. There are due processes in government, and they must be followed.
“We must emphasise that Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi is a political appointee, and not a civil servant. Thus, matters of finance and policy are out of bounds for her in this instance.
“It is crucial to mention that our client, in all his 32 years of service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, never received a query nor a report against him bordering on harassment, let alone, sexual harassment. In the course of this period, our client has served in Hong Kong, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Syria and more recently, Senegal, and there has never been a negative report on his conduct in any of these countries.
“Ambassador Lamuwa has also served for nine years in the State House. From the office of the vice president, to the office of the chief of staff to the president, and to the office of the president, and no negative report or allegation of any kind has ever been raised against him.”
![‘I Did My Dobale’ – Tinubu Reveals Why He Fell At Democracy Day Parade [Video]](/media/k2/items/cache/22e02fd8cf1ab3aeda2eca19de4f05ee_M.jpg)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained why he fell during a Democracy Day parade at the Eagles Square in Abuja.
Naija News reports that President Tinubu, on Wednesday, slipped and fell while boarding the parade vehicle at the venue of the 2024 Democracy Day.
The President had approached the vehicle shortly after he arrived at the Eagles Square, Abuja venue of the programme. The President lost his footing momentarily as he was about to step into the vehicle.
However, despite the slip, the President regained his balance and continued with the proceedings.
The development attracted several reactions from Nigerians on and off social media.
Speaking at a dinner at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday night, Tinubu said he did not fall but prostrated to great in commemoration of the Democracy Day celebration.
He said: “Earlier this morning, I had a swagger and it’s on social media.”
The president suggested that onlookers might have mistaken his misstep for the popular ‘Buga’ dance move or a traditional Yoruba way of prostrating to greet elders – ‘Idobale’ in Yoruba language.
“They were confused whether I was doing buga or babanriga,” Tinubu said.
“But it’s a day to celebrate democracy while doing ‘dobale’ for the day. I am a traditional Yoruba boy, I did my dobale,” the President jocularly said.
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The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has called out the nation’s leadership, urging a focus on development and criticizing a culture of self-service.
Bishop Kukah stated this on Wednesday as Nigeria celebrated Democracy Day.
In his address, “Democracy and the Free Market Economy,” Bishop Kukah argued that Nigeria’s democracy is faltering because it hasn’t been adapted to the country’s context.
“Our democracy is in recession, in decline, precisely because it is evident to us that what we are working with is not something that has come from our own historical, cultural or even anthropological experiences.
“The only way democracy can work is that democracy has to be an instrument of development,’ Bishop Kukah said.
The Bishop emphasized the need for clear national goals, a strong moral foundation, and financial discipline.
“The legislators are preoccupied with determining their salaries, fringe benefits, and unnecessary foreign travels.
“As a result of our inability to cultivate the financial discipline and prudent management of our economy, we have come to depend largely on internal and external borrowing to execute government projects.
“The corrupt, inept, and insensitive leadership in the last years have been a source of immorality and impropriety in our society,” he added.
He argued that greed is a major obstacle, not just among the political elite, but among ordinary Nigerians as well.
He said: “The challenge for many countries in Africa, beginning with Nigeria, is how to restrain the greed of the political elite.
“Not only the political elite, but the greed and the appetite of ordinary Nigerians, because it is feeding this beast that has made it impossible for this country to grow.
“We cannot talk about people being corrupt when it is clear to us that the incentives for doing the right thing doesn’t exist.”
Bishop Kukah urged a return to core constitutional principles, including religious freedom and national unity.
He said Nigerians need to “redefine what it is to be a Nigerian. But we must also make sure that the elite claim this argument and claim this space.”
- MOSOP: it’s time to immortalise Saro-Wiwa
The family of the Founder of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Isiotan Fasehun, has protested the omission of their late patriarch from the list of June 12 heroes contained in yesterday’s Democracy Day broadcast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Movement for The Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) also said the late environmentalist and writer Ken Sar-Wiwa ought to have been immortalised the way Chief MKO Abiola has been honoured.
In a statement in Lagos by the late OPC Founder’s son, Mr. Remi Fasehun, the family described the omission of Dr. Fasehun as uncharitable, ungrateful, and unpardonable.
“The President was a direct beneficiary of our father’s activism and sacrifice for democracy.
“Not only were they in the trenches together, (the late) Fasehun helped Tinubu to escape into exile.
“Several people, who escaped from the country into exile and joined NADECO-Abroad, including Pa Anthony Enahoro, were personally taken by boat and bush paths, through the NADECO Route, by Dr. Fasehun. He was at a point the link between Pa Enahoro-NADECO and NUPENG, the union that played a pivotal role in that struggle.
“He was thrown into prison several times by the General Sani Abacha junta, in Kirikiri, Ilorin, and Kuje. At the infamous Inter-Centre in Ikoyi Cemetery, he was held incommunicado for several months, an experience that inflicted immense damage on him, physically and psychologically, to the extent of leaving his vision impaired for life,” the family said.
In a statement in Port Harcourt by its Publicity Secretary, Saviour Oscar, MOSOP said the President did not recognise the sacrifices of the late Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni patriots who fought for democracy while recognising the late winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, Basorun Moshood Abiola.
The statement reads: “We thank Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for addressing Nigerians on her 25th Democracy Day. However, it is very sad that Mr. President did not recognise or make mention of the struggle of the Ogoni heroes, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, who laid down their lives for the rights of the indigenous people.
“We, the Ogoni, have been very much supportive and have contributed so much to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP); so, it’s unfortunate that Mr. President recognised the struggle of MKO Abiola while failing to acknowledge that of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogonis who paid the supreme sacrifice for what we enjoy today as a nation.
“It is still a painful experience for the people of Ogoni that we lost a generation of industrious sons who contributed immensely to the development of Rivers State and Nigeria at large and today, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, just like former President Muhammadu Buhari, recognised Abiola and the incident that led to his election bid and death while ignoring Ken Saro-Wiwa and others. It is painful and very worrisome…”
[TheNation]
Former international Victor Ikpeba has challenged Super Eagles players to step up their fight to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles have endured a stuttering start to their campaign, failing to record a win in four matches.
Finidi George’s side currently occupy fifth position in Group C with a paltry three points from four games.
Ikpeba, who represented Nigeria at two World Cups, said the players must up their game.
“The players have become too comfortable, they now have to step up and take full responsibility,” he was quoted by SCORENigeria.
“The talent is there in the team for them to turn things around next year.
“History will be kind to them when they fight back and qualify Nigeria.
“We missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and it was a special tournament.”
A five storey building under construction on Wednesday collapsed in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Sources said the building collapsed around 7:15 am.
DAILY POST was unable to confirm if there were casualties in the incident which occurred at at DMGS Junction, close to the popular Dennis Memorial Grammar School.
“I was going to work this morning when I saw it. The entire building came down in rubbles.
“I don’t think there were casualties in the building because work was not ongoing on the project this morning.
“The cause of the collapse has not been ascertained, but many bystanders who watched from across the road suspected that it may be as a result of use of substandard materials,” the source said.
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A 200-level student from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Federal University Dutse (FUD) in Jigawa State has reportedly thrown her newborn baby from the upper-floor of the female hostel after giving birth.
A female student at the university confirmed to DAILY POST that the incident happened on Monday.
She said the occupants of the Morocco Female Hostel on the university campus woke up to the tragic incident.
According to her, “Early Monday morning, we woke up and saw the newborn baby girl on the floor, dead, thrown from a three-story building.”
She said the girl made the decision to bury her shame after giving birth out of wedlock.
Police spokesman, DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam, confirmed the incident in a statement issued to DAILY POST.
He said police received a report that a 200-level student gave birth and threw the baby from a three-story building, resulting in the infant’s instant death.
He said a team of policemen raced to the scene of the crime after receiving the report and conveyed the baby and mother to Rasheed Shekoni Teaching Hospital Dutse, where the infant was certified dead by a medical doctor on call.
Meanwhile, the suspect was admitted and is responding to therapy.
DSP Shiisu said an investigation is ongoing regarding the incident.
Controversial Nollywood star Yvonne Jegede has clarified that her recent endorsement of colleague, Yul Edochie’s second marriage was not intended to trivialise the pain of his aggrieved first wife, May Edochie.
Jegede had during a recent appearance on ‘The Honest Bunch’ podcast endorsed Yul Edochie’s controversial second marriage to Judy Austin, saying the actor has done “nothing wrong”.
Her comments earned backlash, with many accusing her of trivialising the pain of Edochie’s first wife, May.
Reacting in a statement shared via her Instagram page, Jegede claimed that her words were not articulated in a way that conveyed her true intentions.
“Upon reflecting on the interview, I realize that my words were not articulated in a way that conveyed my true intentions and have been misconstrued as insensitive, particularly towards Mrs May Edochie, a woman who has endured significant pain and hardship occasioned by estranged marriage.
“I deeply regret that my comments were perceived as adding to her distress. It was never my intention to cause any pain or disrespect. I am truly sorry,” the statement said.
She continued: “I want to clarify that my remarks about polygamy were meant to reflect its cultural context and to emphasize that how it is practiced is crucial. My goal was to convey that polygamy is part of our culture, but what matters is how it is approached. Unfortunately, this message was lost in my articulation.
“I want to stress that my comments were not intended to trivialize the pain of Mrs May Edochie or any woman going through a similar struggle. I do not claim to have advanced knowledge of the personal circumstances between Yul Edochie and his ex-wife.”
There is an outbreak of severe gastroenteritis in communities around Eti Osa, Lagos Island, Ikorodu and Kosofe local government areas of Lagos State, leading to the death of five persons while 60 others have been hospitalized
The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this while reacting to the state surveillance reports.
Abayomi was quoted as saying the state government has issued a call for heightened vigilance and the adoption of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of a potential cholera outbreak in the state.
The Commissioner further revealed that sadly five deaths have been recorded mainly from patients presenting late with extreme dehydration.
“We have activated a statewide heightened surveillance and response. The Ministry of Health Directorate of Environmental Health and the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) have been alerted to investigate a possible water contamination source in the Lekki Victoria Island axis. We suspect a possible cholera outbreak; however, samples have been taken for confirmation. As of April 28, 2024, Nigeria reported 815 suspected cholera cases and 14 deaths across 25 states,” he said.
The Commissioner noted that following recent rains, Lagos State has seen a notable increase in cases of severe vomiting and watery stools, adding that urban slums and crowded areas with poor sanitation are particularly at risk.
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One of the abducted individuals, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, revealed that the kidnappers demanded approximately N40 million in ransom before releasing them, along with 29 others.
PUNCH Metro reports on Monday that about 30 travellers, including some students of the polytechnic were abducted by kidnappers along the Abuja-Nasarawa Highway on Friday.
Punch correspondent had, on Sunday, gathered from a source who pleaded anonymity due to the nature of the incident that the kidnappers laid siege to the vehicles conveying the travellers and abducted them into a nearby bush in the Uke area of Nasarawa State.
The source stated further that a student among the abductees was travelling to her family in Abuja.
The victim who spoke exclusively with PUNCH Metro, on Tuesday, on the condition of anonymity for fear of attack by the kidnappers, stated that the seven-man kidnappers ambushed their vehicles, shot at the tyres and dispossessed them of their belongings before abducting them into a nearby bush.
The victim narrated further that after the kidnappers had led them into the thick bush, they (the victims) were made to take a rest when they realised that some of the victims were tired.
She disclosed further that at about midnight on Saturday, the kidnappers instructed them to call their relatives to demand N10m ransom each.
The victim narrated further that after several pleadings from the victims, the kidnappers grouped them into two categories of students and non-students and demanded that the students should collectively pay N10m while others should pay N10m each.
The victim added, “We, who are students, started calling our relatives and money was rallied around to make the payment. There is an Alhaji among the other group who raised about N20m and other people raised about N10m. The total money they got was about N40m.
“During the whole incident, we did not see any police officer come around till we were released. It was after they said they had got the money that they allowed us to go. We have gone to the police station but were told to write a statement.”
Meanwhile, a relative had earlier on Tuesday told our correspondent that the victim had reached out to the family informing them that the kidnappers had released them.
“She reached out to us this morning that they had been released. I am on my way to the police station because the number she called us with has not been reachable after the call. I will give you an update later.”
In a follow-up conversation, the relative disclosed that the victim had been reunited with the family.
“She has arrived home. We are grateful that she is safe. She is resting.”
Efforts made by our correspondent to get the reaction of the Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer, Rahman Nansel, proved abortive as messages sent to him were not responded to while calls made to his telephone line were unanswered as of the time of filing this report.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sympathised with President Bola Tinubu after the President slipped at the Eagles Square during the 2024 Democracy Day celebration.
Recall on Wednesday, Tinubu slipped at the Eagles Square while boarding the parade vehicle.
The President, however, quickly regained his balance and continued with the proceedings without further issues.
Reacting, Atiku expressed his empathy over the incident, hoping that all is well with the President.
He wrote on X, “I sincerely sympathise with President Bola Tinubu, @officialABAT, over this unfortunate incident as he was set to review the parade on Democracy Day. I do hope that all is well with him. -AA.”
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I sincerely sympathise with President Bola Tinubu, @officialABAT, over this unfortunate incident as he was set to review the parade on Democracy Day. I do hope that all is well with him. -AA pic.twitter.com/XDkm10nVOt
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) June 12, 2024
Veteran Nollywood actor, Dayo Adewunmi, popularly known as Sule Suebebe, is dead.
Naija News learnt that the popular Yoruba actor died on Wednesday morning at an undisclosed hospital in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to Punch, news of Suebebe’s death was announced by a popular Ibadan-based cleric, Pastor Ademola Amusan, also known as Agbala Gabriel, who had been caring for the actor in recent months.
Announcing the death via a Facebook post, Agbala Gabriel wrote, “It’s a pity, Baba Suebebe died at the hospital this morning. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
It would be recalled that Suebebe became a sensation online in 2023 when he reflected on his past, admitting that he once led a reckless life during his younger years.
Gabriel, a young pastor known for his philanthropy, also provided the veteran actor a new home last year.
VIDEO: Presidency Reacts As Tinubu Falls During Democracy Day Event At Eagle Square In Abuja
AFOLABI
The presidency has reacted to the slip and fall by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday during the democracy day event held at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
While confirming the slip of the President during the event, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun noted that it was just a minor incident.
He explained that the President only missed his step while climbing the parade vehicle but there were no issues as he immediately continued with the ceremony.
“Mr President missed his step while climbing into the truck at the June 12 Democracy Day celebration and tripped. It was a mild misstep. He immediately went on with the ceremonial rounds. No issues,” he wrote via X.
Recall Naija News had earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, slipped and fell while boarding the parade vehicle at the venue of the 2024 Democracy Day.
The President had approached the vehicle shortly after he arrived at the Eagles Square, Abuja venue of the programme. The President lost his footing momentarily as he was about to step into the vehicle.
However, despite the slip, the President quickly regained his balance and continued with the proceedings.
Watch the video below.
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— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) June 12, 2024
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday slipped while boarding the parade vehicle at the venue of the 2024 Democracy Day.
The… pic.twitter.com/9ogZtGX6g7