The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu allegedly approved N24.5 million for the renovation of the official residence of the Commissioner of Police in the state.

The approval for the project executed by Omay Engineering Services Ltd was dated February 6, which was a few days before the February 25 general election.

The opposition parties in the state had accused security agencies of working with non-state actors to intimidate their supporters and suppress votes in some areas of the state.

The approval was disclosed in the Public Procurement awards carried out by the state government in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2023.

Aside from the money spent on renovation, the state Ministry of Justice paid N200 million to four Senior lawyers to represent Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat in pre-election matters.

The state also released N20.8 million for the decoration of the venue for the political delegates’ congress.

However, the money was approved on June 26, more than three months after the 2023 general elections.

The sum of N6.1 million was approved in July for the provision of furniture items at the Campaign office, GRA, Ikeja. Political commentators said it is wrong for taxpayers’ money to be used to fund political activities.

The government also approved N152 million for the restoration of the water supply at Iduganran Palace the official residence of the Oba of Lagos.

Operatives of the Nnewi Vigilance Service in Anambra State have arrested over 30 suspected internet fraudsters, known as Yahoo boys, and kidnappers during a raid in the area.

It was gathered that the raid led to the arrest of some young girls who were allegedly being exploited while charms, mobile phones and dozens of SIM cards were recovered from the suspects.

A commander of the group who preferred anonymity said the suspects had been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

He said the facilities housing the suspects had been sealed by the Vigilante Group for further investigation.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ikenga Tochukwu, confirmed the incident, saying that investigation had commenced into the matter.

“The command has received the suspects and interrogation has commenced,” he said.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nasarawa State Command, said it has arrested 27 persons over alleged cult-related activities in Lafia, the state capital.

The commandant of the corps in Nasarawa, Mr Bappa Abbas Muhammed, stated this yesterday while parading the suspected cult members.

The NSCDC boss also said one person was killed as a result of the cult activities while one other sustained a matchet injury and was receiving treatment.

Muhammed expressed worry over the increasing rate of cultism across the 13 local government areas of the state, particularly in Lafia the state capital.

He, however, said the command had launched a new security strategy to tackle the ugly menace.

He said those arrested would soon be charged to court for prosecution.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal brought before it by the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Titus Uba challenging the election of Hyacinth Alia as the elected governor of Benue State.

In a unanimous judgment, the court resolved all three issues formulated for determination against Uba and PDP for various reasons.

Justice Onyekachi Otisi who delivered the lead judgment dismissed the allegations of non-qualification made by Uba against the deputy governor Samuel Ode.

He held that the PDP candidate failed to establish forgery of INEC form EC9 by Ode beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Appellate Court, among other reasons, said the issues of non-qualification are pre-election matters that can only be challenged at a Federal High Court and not at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal as done by Uba.

Justice Otisi added that a suit to challenge non-qualification can only be instituted within 14 days of the occurrence of the subject matter.

The Court also dealt with the allegations by Uba that the name of the Governor, Hyacinth Alia was not not submitted by the All Progressives Congress to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC within 180 days before the election of March 18.

The Appellate Court held that the allegations could survive because the primary election that produced Alia was ordered by a High Court and was done within the period ordered by the court.

Justice Otisi held that the appeal of Uba against the judgment of the Benue State Election Petition Tribunal delivered on September 23 lacked merit and was dismissed.

The Court subsequently upheld the judgment of the tribunal and rejected the plea of the PDP governorship candidate to set it aside.

Monday’s development came about eight months after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Alia as the winner of the governorship exercise in the North-Central state.

The Catholic priest won 473,933 votes ahead of his closest rival Uba who polled 223,913 votes.

The Nigeria Police Force has revealed its intention to adopt solar and other renewable energy sources as lightening option for police stations, police barracks and police colleges as it looks to reduce emissions.

Making this disclosure in a statement made available on its official X handle, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, detailed that the decision was taken after the force signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a Green Initiative known as the Nigeria Police Green Initiative.

“A key aspect of the Initiative is “Nigeria Police Emission Reduction Programme” which is aligned to the national and global direction in addressing climate change issues through emission reduction projects and lifestyle to be adopted by all Police Officers so as to create awareness for responsible production and consumption across sectors including renewable energy source for lighting applications such as solar lighting across the Police Stations, Police Colleges, Police Barracks, Police Outpost and Communities in alignment with the transition to low-carbon climate-resilient development,” the statement partly read.

“Additionally, the initiative aims at promoting eco-friendly transportation methods within the Police Force. This includes transitioning to electric vehicles and gas conversion vehicles thus reducing premium motor spirits (PMS) consumption and air pollution while increasing efficiency and promoting a healthier lifestyle among police personnel and the community. The Initiative will also leverage environmentally sustainable waste and water management include solar boreholes, waste-to-energy programmes, thereby reducing operational cost, create jobs and a cleaner environment,” it added.

The Police further revealed that it will “also going beyond our immediate environment by lighting up Communities with Solar Power to reduce security vulnerability and herder-farmer crisis, conducting outreach programs to educate citizens on the importance of preserving natural resources, reducing pollution, and engaging in sustainable practices, thereby effectively managing natural resource-induced conflicts such as the herder-famer conflicts.”

Vice-President Kashim Shettima is meeting with members of the private sector including the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Mr Aliko Dangote, and the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr Tony Elumelu.

The meeting is being held behind closed doors with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Muhammad Ali Pate in attendance.

Others present are international development partners, including the Country Director of the World Bank, Schubham Chaudhuri among others.

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, has distanced himself from the claim by the Public Procurement Agency that his office got N2 billion to purchase rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights and fridges.

Hamzat in a memo addressed to the Director General of the procurement agency, said the approval for the project was N2 million.

He also claimed that his wife got N2.5m each for her monthly outreach to indigents and empowerment programme as against the N30m captured by the agency.

Naija News had earlier reported that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his deputy, Hamzat, have come under criticism for approving N7.5 million to replace liquid fragrance in Sanwo-Olu’s office and N2 billion to purchase rechargeable fans for the office of Hamzat.

Hamzat, however, in a memo signed by Director, Finance and Account, Tola Ekemode, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the office of the deputy governor, said the report by the agency was untrue, mischievous, fake, and unfounded.

Ekemode said, “It is important to state that truly, the office did get approval and awarded the provision of supply items (rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights and fridges) for the sum of =N=2,017,840 (Two Million, Seventeen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty Naira) as against the =N=2,017,840,000 (Two Billion, Seventeen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira as reported by Doherty in his purported letter.

“In addition, the report that the office through the Wife of the Deputy Governor spent =N=30,000,000 monthly for outreach to indigents is inaccurate as the amount stated covered the whole year. It is =N=2,500,000 per month. Same for the Empowerment programme by the Wife of the Deputy Governor which also =N=2,500,000 per month as against =N=30,000,000 monthly reported.”

He called on the agency to take immediate action in addressing the issue by giving the general public a true account of what was approved.

“The Office of the Deputy Governor wishes to state in unequivocal terms, for your immediate action and the attention of millions of readers that the report is untrue, mischievous, fake, and unfounded.

“We are compelled to write this letter due to the inaccuracies it conveyed; as the story was completely different and not a true reflection of what we have in our records. Also, we would not allow some individual(s) and journalists with mischievous inclination to bring the personality and name of the Deputy Governor, his wife, and the office to disrepute.”

The Supreme Court has fixed March 13, 2024, to hear a suit filed in 2008, by the Attorney General of Lagos State against the Federal Government in respect of who controls and regulates the gaming and lottery sector.

Ekiti State was joined as co-plaintiff in the suit following an order of the court made on October 6, 2020.

The attorneys general of 34 other states were joined as defendants by the Supreme Court on November 15, 2022.

A seven-member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun fixed the date for the day’s proceedings.

The plaintiffs want the apex court to declare that the lottery is not one of the 68 items for which the National Assembly has the exclusive vires to make laws under Part 1 of the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

They are also seeking a declaration that the National Assembly lacks the vires to legally and constitutionally make any law to regulate and control the operation of lottery in Nigeria.

The withdrawal of troops by Niger from the Multinational Joint Task Force at the border with Nigeria was due to financial sanctions on Niger by the EU, AU, the UK governments as well as other donor organizations, Daily Trust gathered.

A source familiar with the issue said: “The sanctions had affected their (Sector 4) operations. The EU provides the funding so due to the sanctions the EU will not be able to pay the Niger contingent. 

“So officially, MNJTF have not withdrawn from the frontline, and at the same time, there is little they could do because their funding was cut off by the EU. The problem has to do with sanctions.”

“When commanders finish their tour of duty at the MNJTF, Niger may not be able to deploy another commander because MNJTF cannot go to Niger to pick them and even if they do, no funding due to sanctions,” Our source explains. 

Recall that the major financial partners of the multinational joint task force, EU, UK, AU, and ECOWAS have announced several sanctions on Niger, cutting financial support following the military take over.

The Sanctions meant to mount pressure on the military government includes freezing of Assets, fund restrictions, shutting down of borders, suspension of imports and exports, power supply cuts and the shutting down of the West Africa’s regional central bank, BCEAO among others.

In separate reactions to Daily Trust report, the Spokesman of the multinational joint task force, Abubakar Abdullahi and Director, Defence Media Operations, Eward Buba, both denied the withdrawal of Niger from MNJTF.

“Note that, Niger is responsible for Sector 4 of the MNJTF that is located in Diffa. The communication channel between the Sector and HQ MNJTF has been less than perfect. This is obviously, due to the political situation,” Buba told Daily Trust Sunday.

The senior military officer, however, noted that the Defence Headquarters was hoping that things would improve as tension continues to calm down.

[DailyTrust]

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has recalled how a political party, the Peoples Democratic Party he belonged to in 1998 lost a local government election in Ogun State because he rejected plans to bribe the police and personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Obasanjo said party leaders had told him that there should be money allocated for the police and INEC, saying he rejected the proposal on the belief that INEC officials and policemen are government workers earning salaries monthly.

The former President spoke in Abeokuta on Monday at a high-level consultation he organised on ‘Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa’.

The African leader had told politicians and professors at the debate that he is not always comfortable with the phrase, ‘Nigerian factor’, when discussing democracy and other issues affecting development.

According to him, he came across the ‘Nigerian factor’ slang when the nation held the first local government election and his party lost because politicians said be refused to take cognisance of the Nigerian factor while planning for the election.

“When things go wrong, you said the Nigerian factor. The first thing I learnt in politics was this thing called the Nigerian factor.

“In 1998, we had the first local government election. We had parties, and here in Abeokuta, we met in my office and they came up and said, ‘look, this is money for INEC, money for police.’ At a stage I said, ‘what nonsense! Is the police not being paid, and INEC too?’

“They said ‘that’s how we do it. I said ‘you cannot do that.’ So, they didn’t do that. And of course, we lost all the local governments. We lost all. And then they came to me and said, ‘Baba, you see? If you had allowed us to do it the way we used to do it, we would have won’. And I felt guilty.

“During the next election, which was the State Assembly, I just stayed in my house. I said ‘well, do whatever you want to do, I will not be part of it’. So, I didn’t even go. But, the result was the same. One of the people who got money didn’t even distribute it to where he was supposed to distribute it,” Obasanjo recounted.

The octogenarian emphasised that the Western liberal democracy being practised in Africa has not really taken human nature and the African situation into full account.

While saying it is time to be realistic, the Balogun of Owu said a hungry person will sell his vote for just N1000.

“When you are hungry, whatever anybody tells you cannot go in. Poverty is a great enemy of democracy. Ignorance or lack of education is a great enemy of democracy. And we seem to be deliberately fomenting poverty and lack of education,” he stated.

[DailyPost]