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After he won the Big Brother Naija, BBNaija, season 2 in 2017, Michael Efe Ejeba, popularly known as Efe Money, delved into music.
Though many doubted his talent in music, Efe didn’t give up, as he continued chasing his dream in music.
Today, his resilience and hard work has paid off, having been making waves beyond the shores of this country as one of the rising Afrobeats stars. In this engaging encounter, he reflects on his musical journey and why he created “Une Bounce” , which is a fusion of Urhobo traditional sounds and Afrobeat in his new EP.
My musical journey
How I gradually made in-road into the Nigerian music space after people had earlier doubted my talent in music was to just stay consistent in doing what I know how to do best, which is to make music and ignore all the naysayers.
Inspiration to make smash hits
I developed more interest in my culture as I grew older and it led me to be inspired by the rich sound and melodies of my people, the Urhobo.
Growing up, my dad used to play some Urhobo traditional music on cassettes and CDs at home. Now that I’m grown up and attending weddings, burials and other social functions in my hometown, I felt a sense of nostalgia listening to those local sounds. It dawned on me to question why this unique and rich sound wasn’t on the global stage. So I decided to fuse it with contemporary sounds and share it with the world.
Why I introduced ‘Une Bounce’
The reason for creating this sound I call “Une Bounce” is to introduce the world to the rich traditional music of Urhobo people that has been under the radar for a long time. Another reason is to bridge the social gap between the young and the old Urhobo people through music.
How people are receiving this brand of music
The reception has been amazing since I dropped the first single “Money Talk” in October 2023. I got calls and videos of people vibing and dancing to the song from all over the world. It inspired me to drop an EP of five tracks to further explore the sound which I titled “Une Bounce.”
Urhobo singers are embracing the genre and I’m excited about it because a lot still needs to be done to take Urhobo music to the next level but I can not do it alone.
Releasing my debut album in 2024
Unfortunately, my team and I have decided to move the release of my debut album to 2025. This is due to circumstances beyond our control.
Collaborating with some A-list artistes lately
There are more to come, keep your fingers crossed. Shout out to Vector for featuring me on “No Apologies”. That was a smash hit in the rap industry. My music is gaining global acceptance.
Fusion of Urhobo, Hausa and English in my next projects
This is because music is an expression of myself and my life experience. Growing up in Jos influenced me a lot. Being Urhobo also shaped my personality.
My greatest challenges
I’ve always been into full time music since 2010 when I first stepped into a studio and I’ve not stopped or taken a break. As an independent artist, the greatest challenge is finance because music is capital intensive and more budget is needed for promotion and marketing in this day and age.
Music acts I would like to work with
Quite a lot, but I’ll prefer not to mention their names. Shout out to King Enakpodia for taking the hook in Money Talk, Otacha and Solo Kings for being part of the Une Bounce EP.
[Vanguard]
#Endbadgovernance protest: Anyone above seven years old can be charged, arraigned in court – Police
Admin
The Nigeria Police Force has stated that anyone more than 7 years old can be charged to court.
Adejobi stated this on Friday amid outrage regarding the arraignment of minor #EndBadGovernance protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Adejobi highlighted that the legal framework permits minors as young as seven to be charged, as long as specific protocols are adhered to to guarantee due process.
He said, “Those exempt from criminal liability under the law are those below seven. Once you are above seven, you can be charged to court. The only consideration is the specific procedures required. None of them is younger than seven. The youngest is around 13,” he told Channels TV on Friday.
“The fact that someone is 13 does not mean they cannot be charged to court. Even under the Children and Young Persons Act, individuals can still be charged. We have charged them on behalf of the Federal Government.
“These are individuals who leveraged the #EndBadGovernance protests, hijacked it, became violent, and displayed flags from Russia and other countries, which is, of course, an offence. They are criminally liable, and we have not charged anyone underage.”
Recall Vanguard reported earlier that the federal government arraigned 76 individuals, primarily underage children, on Friday for their involvement in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest in August before a Federal High Court in Abuja, the capital city.
However, at the beginning of the proceedings, four of the alleged protesters were quickly taken out after they collapsed.
The court later granted bail of N10 million to each of the 72 defendants and removed the names of four ailing children from the charges, while the remaining defendants pleaded not guilty.
[Vanguard]
![[PRESS STATEMENT] IPMAN: Setting the Record Straight](/media/k2/items/cache/d178d4e3a993f37774e132d804f072ea_M.jpg)
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify that it has not received any payments from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to purchase refined petroleum products.
Although discussions are ongoing with IPMAN, it is misleading to suggest that they (IPMAN Members) are experiencing difficulties loading refined products from our Petroleum Refinery, as we currently have no direct business dealings with them. Consequently, we cannot be held responsible for any payments made to other entities.
The payment in mention has been made through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and not us. In the same vein, NNPCL has neither approved, nor authorised us to release our Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to IPMAN.
We would like to emphasise that we can meet the nation's demand for all petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. At present, we can load 2,900 trucks per day and we have also been evacuating petroleum products by sea. We advise IPMAN to register with us and make direct payment as we have more than enough petroleum products to satisfy the needs of their members.
Furthermore, we believe it is instructive for all stakeholders to refrain from making unfounded statements in the media, as that could undermine the economic re-engineering efforts of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Conducting business through public speculation is counterproductive and unpatriotic.
In the interest of our country, we encourage all stakeholders to collaborate and heed the advice of President Tinubu, while promoting a unified approach, rather than engaging in media conflicts and needless propaganda.
Anthony Chiejina
Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer
The Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has said his administration is saddened by the trial of minors in a Federal Capital Territory High Court, on treason charges by the Nigeria Police.
Abba Yusuf said he was made to know that some of the minors on treason trial for participating in the August hunger protest were from Kano.
In a statement on Friday night, on his X handle, Governor Yusuf promised that his Commissioner of Justice would work to secure the minors and return them to the state.
“My attention has been drawn to the appearance of teenagers (some believed to be from Kano) in court today (Friday) in Abuja.
“The Commissioner of Justice has been instructed to act immediately on the issue. We shall do everything possible to get them back to Kano, in sha Allah,” Governor Yusuf said.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), have also directed the Nigeria Police to submit the prosecution file of the minors to his office.
The statement from Fagbemi on Friday night read, “It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the end bad governance violent protest in court for various offences, including treason.
“My office will need to look into some issues regarding the matter so that I can make an informed decision.
“I am aware that the court has remanded the defendants in detention centres and adjourned the case to January.
“It is not within my power to vary the order of the court remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January. I have, however, directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the case file to my office and hand it over to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) tomorrow, Saturday, 2nd November, 2024.
“I have also directed the DPPF to immediately set machinery in motion for the court’s consideration of moving the adjournment date forward (to an earlier date).”
The Counsel to the Federal Government, Rimazonte Ezekiel, has stated that most of the 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters arraigned in connection with the demonstrations that rocked the country in August are adults.
His remarks came after a hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the protesters—arrested between August 1 and August 10—were presented before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
Recall that four of those arraigned, including two minors, fainted and were taken to the hospital.
Following a bail hearing, 114 protesters were each granted bail set at N10 million with two sureties in a similar amount.
Justice Egwuatu approved the bail applications after reviewing submissions from both the defense and prosecution teams, subsequently adjourning the case until January.
Footage showing minors among the detained has sparked nationwide outrage. Human rights advocates, civil society groups, political figures, and social commentators have all expressed concern, criticizing the Tinubu administration for the handling of the protests.
However, Ezekiel defended the government’s actions in a press briefing after the court session.
He argued that the individuals being referred to as minors are actually adults, noting that some even have families.
“These boys that we brought to the court today are adults. Most of them are married men. None of them is a minor. Some of them are University graduates. The small kids you are seeing here today came with their parents to come and greet their loved ones,” he stated.
He went on to clarify that many of the defendants had been arrested in Kaduna and Zaria, emphasizing the challenges of maintaining democracy in Nigeria and expressing concerns over the alleged involvement of foreign symbols and calls for regime change.
“They are not even the real suspects standing trial in this case. These boys were arrested in Kaduna and Zaria. Do you know how much it cost us to be at this level of democracy in this country? These young boys are trying to destabilize Nigeria using the Russian flags and other countries while calling on the military to remove our president,” he added.
“Is it fair? To even remove the state governors. If they don’t want democracy again, are we forcing them? Everybody is enjoying their fundamental human rights. Nobody is abusing their rights. Everything is moving on well in the country, only for these boys, for no reason, [to have] started protests with Russia and other countries’ flags.”
Petrol Price Hike: Stop Making Tinubu Look Bad – Doyin Okupe Fires Dangote, NNPCL, Marketers
AFOLABI
Former presidential spokesman Dr. Doyin Okupe has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and oil marketers to avoid actions that could cast President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a negative light.
In a statement on Friday titled “Dangote Refinery, NNPCL, Oil Marketers, and the Voodoo of PMS Pricing,” Okupe urged oil industry stakeholders to consider the economic challenges faced by Nigerians.
He suggested that the current approach to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) pricing could create an impression that the government, which no longer directly controls petroleum prices, is to blame for price hikes, potentially tarnishing the president’s image.
Okupe expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in determining fuel prices, describing it as “a national embarrassment.”
He noted that the Free On Board (FOB) price of PMS at Rotterdam was $0.541 per liter, equivalent to about N927.82 at an exchange rate of N1,715 to $1.
He further explained that with a landing cost of N978 per liter in Lagos, locally refined PMS should benefit from reduced freight costs, which save approximately N85 per liter.
Consequently, Okupe argued, “No local refinery should sell above the FOB price at Rotterdam, minus freight savings of N85, which totals N842.83 per liter.”
The former Director-General of the Peter Obi 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, Okupe challenged NNPCL, the Dangote Refinery, and oil marketers to dispute his calculations.
Recall that NNPCL recently increased the price of petrol just three weeks after a previous hike.
The latest adjustment raised the pump price to N1,060 per liter in Abuja, up from N1,030, while in Lagos, the price increased from N998 to N1,025 per liter at NNPCL outlets.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says its application portal for the recruitment of tax officers will officially open on November 2.
The FIRS, on its official account on Friday, announced that it is inviting interested candidates to apply for officer II and officer I positions in eight states, including Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ekiti, Lagos, and Oyo.
According to the service, eligible candidates must be 27 years old or below by December 31, 2024, and must have completed the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme by no later than December 31, 2021.
“Applicants must possess a Bachelor’s Degree (or HND) in First Class/Second Class Upper Division in any of the following disciplines: Accounting, Actuarial Science, Business Information Systems, Computer Engineering, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Digital/Electronic Marketing, Economics, Engineering, Financial Management, Graphic Arts, Graphic Design, Law, Management/Business Administration, Market Research, Mathematics, Statistics, Taxation, Visual Arts,” the FIRS said.
“Note: Relevant master’s degrees and professional affiliations (e.g., ICAN, ACCA, ANAN, COREN, NSE, etc) will be an added advantage.
“Interested candidates should submit their applications via the official FIRS recruitment portal: www.firs.gov.ng/careers.
“Candidates must apply to only one of the specified locations. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Be cautious of fraudulent recruitment activities; only use the official FIRS website for applications. Regardless of the positions advertised, successful candidates must be prepared to work in any of FIRS’s business locations.”
The FIRS said only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further assessments, which may include aptitude tests, interviews, and medical examinations.
The service said the application deadline is November 14, 2024.
The tax agency reiterated its commitment to promoting equal opportunities for all eligible candidates, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or background.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed disappointment that, one year after their president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was brutalized in Owerri, Imo State, no one has been held accountable for the vicious attack.
Despite the ordeal, Ajaero remains committed to serving Nigerian workers. According to Benson Upah, NLC’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, Ajaero was abducted, brutalized, and left for dead by state agents in Owerri, Imo State, simply for leading a peaceful protest against non-payment of salaries and pensions.
The statement highlights the severity of the attack, noting that Ajaero required more than six months of treatment in and outside the country to regain his sight and bodily functions.
Furthermore, the harassment has continued, with Ajaero being invited by the police to defend himself against allegations of terrorism financing, subversion, and treasonable felony.
The NLC finds it disturbing that no one has been brought to justice for Ajaero’s ordeal, despite the National Security Adviser’s promise to do so. The organization believes Ajaero deserves justice and remains committed to serving Nigerian workers.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday grilled controversial cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, over his claim that he bribed some officials of the commission with the sum of N15m.
Bobrisky was heard in a viral audio released by activist, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, claiming that some yet-to-be-identified EFCC officials collected the said amount (N15m) from him to drop the money laundering charges against him (Bobrisky).
A source in the anti-graft commission disclosed that Bobrisky’s interrogation began immediately after he was moved to Abuja.
“He was interrogated for hours upon his arrival here. He is still with us as I speak (8:30pm),” the source in the commission added.
The anti-graft body had earlier disclosed that the cross-dresser was flown to Abuja over his failure to honour its invitations.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, confirmed this on Friday morning, adding that Bobrisky could face a fresh charge from the commission if his allegations against the anti-corruption agency were false.
“Bobrisky is on his way to Abuja as we speak,” Oyewale added.
Okuneye’s invitation by the commission reportedly followed a voice recording shared by controversial social critic Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan.
However, the EFCC denied the allegation, stating that the case was legally dismissed and set up a panel to investigate the matter further.
On Thursday night, Bobrisky, while attempting to leave the country for London, the United Kingdom, was removed from an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The popular cross-dresser posted on his Instagram page to alert followers about the arrest, stating that he had sustained injuries during an altercation with the immigration officers.
According to sources in the commission, Bobrisky did not honour invitations by the commission for him to substantiate his claims, hence the reason for his arrest.
However, a top source in the commission said on Friday that Bobrisky was picked up to prove his allegations against the EFCC.
The source said, “We have arrested him in Lagos and will be flown to Abuja today. He accused us of bribery and corruption; we invited him severally, but he did not show up. He who alleges must be ready to prove. Those allegations are too weighty to allow slide.
“Also, remember that he has also refused to show up at the National Assembly on the matter. We are left with no other choice than to pick him up so that he can substantiate his claims. And that is what we have done. “
Another source said he had been on the watch list of the commission and other security agencies hence it was impossible for him to escape out of the country.
The source said, “He should know that he cannot sneak out of the country when he has made that kind of allegations against not only our commission but others. He should know we would get him and that it was a matter of time.”
At a press briefing on Thursday, the Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwajaren, had stated that one could be charged for giving false information to the EFCC, let alone making false allegations against the commission.
Meanwhile, the EFCC’s spokesperson stated that Bobrisky failed to respond to multiple summonses from both the commission and the House of Representatives concerning his claims of having paid an N15m bribe to the EFCC to dismiss money laundering charges against him.
Speaking in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, Oyewale said, “Those that are accusing the EFCC of arresting Bobrisky are not aware of the developments concerning his matter. He alleged that he bribed EFCC officers.
“It is public knowledge that he made that allegation and we have invited him to come and unravel whoever is involved in the matter. He was also invited by the House of Representatives committee for the public hearing. He neither responded to us nor made himself available to the House of Reps.
“We arrested him because he did not honour our invitation. Once he tells us who collected money from him, we will release him.”
Addressing the timing of Bobrisky’s arrest, which occurred when he was already aboard a London-bound plane, Oyewale simply said, “A suspect can be arrested anywhere.”
Motunrayo ‘Iwalewa’ Charles, a daughter of the recently deceased veteran actor, Abdulsalam Sanyaolu, popularly known as Charles Olumo and Agbako, has said that she had to abandon her acting career to take care of her father in his old age.
Agbako died on Thursday, October 31, at the age of 101 at his Oniboku residence in Atan-Ota, Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area, Ogun State, and was buried on the same day in accordance with Islamic rites.
Speaking on what she wants the government to do for the late actor’s family, Iwalewa told Saturday Beats, “The government should do whatever it deems fit for the family. But, they should understand that the person who took care of the old man, just like I did, won’t be able to do any other thing. I am also an actor but I did not go to any location for four years, because I had to take care of him. So, the family should be taken care of, and the person who cared for baba should also be well treated.”
Recounting the late actor’s last moments, Iwalewa stated that contrary to some reports, Agbako died at home and not on a movie set. She said, “He died in my arms. After I bathed him, I put him on a chair and brushed his teeth. I then gave him water to rinse his mouth and he went quiet. I took him to the bed, gave him the tea I prepared but it spilt as I was trying to feed him. I had never experienced anything like that (a person’s death) before. Then, I called for help. People are saying he died on set, but he died on his bed in my arms.”
On whether he had any premonition of his death or did anything in his last days that indicated that, she said, “He did not say anything. He was just sick briefly and passed on.”
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Speaking on further plans to commemorate Agbako’s death, she stated, “The funeral rites will be concluded on the seventh day. The ceremony will be held at the same place he celebrated his 100th birthday in the Iju-Atan area of Ogun State.”
She also noted that the late Agbako’s colleagues in the film industry had plans to celebrate him, she said, “We (family members) just had a meeting (Thursday night) and they said we should let them know when we are done with it. I believe they plan to do something. They should do whatever they can to help, so I won’t regret helping my father.”
Even though many people perceived her father as a dangerous man because of the roles he played in movies, Iwalewa said, “My father was not a tough man. The fact that someone acts as a witch in a movie does not mean the person is a witch in real life. Some people think my father was wicked but he was not.
“Sometimes, when he wanted to board public transport, he would go in last, because if he entered early, some people might not want to board the bus. Whenever he entered the bus, some of the passengers would even start to fret. However, he was only doing his job acting as a bad man in movies, and he did it well because he was a true actor. That action was in him till his last moments as he still used to go to movie locations. At times, he would just go there to be in the company of other actors. You know that when actors are on set, they are usually happy and
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The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, on Friday, warned critics against distorting the narrative of the crisis rocking the state, insisting that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the investment of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Okocha disclosed this during a media parley with journalists at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Okocha who served as the Chief of Staff to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi from 2007 to 2015, stated that he feels embarrassed every time he listens to a radio analysis and hears the presenters dishing out a biased narrative.
He said, “I can tell you that the conversations going on around the state are skewed. They need to hear our side of the story. Some people are blaming us at the APC and even bringing in the FCT Minister for the crisis in Rivers. They are holding us in scorn. Naturally, I know what anybody will say is that he (Wike) has done eight years; why is he not allowing someone else to run his own? But that is not the narrative.
“Nobody makes an investment and throws it away; the business will fail. Governor Fubara is Wike’s political investment. I must have said this many times. This is because he lifted him from ground zero and put him where he is today. Fubara was never a politician; he was a civil servant.
“He was taken from a state of relative obscurity in his Local Government to a political crescendo, which is the position of governor in a state like Rivers. So, it is not a case of Wike suffocating anybody in Rivers; it is just a case of Governor Sim Fubara versus the same Governor Sim Fubara. He is the governor. In Ikwerre’s parlance, there is an adage that says ‘You are the man that holds the yam and the knife.'”
Continuing, Okocha also blamed the governor for spurning the intervention of President Bola Tinubu and the court order directing him to re-present the 2024 budget before the Martins Amaewhule-led State House of Assembly.
He said that rather than following the agreed resolution, Fubara allowed his loyalists to go loose by threatening and attempting to blackmail the president.
“There was an intervention by Mr President through an eight-point agenda. The president said the governor was wrong by presenting the budget to a four-member assembly over and above 27 others, and that he should go back and re-present it. Fubara accepted and told Mr President that being the first time he was meeting with him, whatever he said pertaining to Rivers, he would abide by.
“He also made a request, and the president asked him to state it. The request was that those who worked with him from his side should not be vilified or punished. The president assured him that nothing of the sort would happen, as the meeting was for reconciliation. After that, all manner of narratives arose. Some said he signed under duress; others claimed he was ambushed. The fifth columnists were also on the prowl for pecuniary interests.
“But did he implement the decision of Mr President and the judgment of the court to re-present the budget to the House of Assembly under Martin Amaewhule? Now, some people are going about trying to skew the narrative that those who got the recent judgment are enemies of Rivers. But is it right for the governor to run a state without a budget? It is even dangerous for us as a state because you don’t have a limit for spending,” he warned.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, on Friday said the Federal Government is working to minimise fake condoms and other items in the Nigerian market.
He stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“There are things that should not be in our system that actors may find ways to compromise and those are the minority,” he said.
“Over the years, we have seen a reduction in those kinds of things making it. Somebody may hide in their room, create something that is substandard and get it into the market. That is what we are trying to the barest minimum.”
NAFDAC Raises Alarm
The minister’s assurance comes after the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm on the circulation of an unregistered condom called Foula condoms.
NAFDAC in a statement on Thursday said the product, which is usually packed in 3s, was discovered in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital and in Zango, Kastina State.
NAFDAC said the discovery was made by the officials of the post-marketing Surveillance Directorate (PMS) while carrying out a Risk-Based Post Marketing Surveillance study on registered condoms in Nigeria.
“The condom is not registered by NAFDAC for use in Nigeria, and the labelling of the product is not in the English Language,” the statement read.
“Condoms are a proven effective barrier method that can be used as a dual-purpose method for both prevention of unintended pregnancy and protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. To be most effective, any barrier method used for contraception or preventing infection must be used correctly.”
It stated that the illegal distribution or sale of unregistered condoms poses a risk as the safety, quality, and efficacy of the products are not guaranteed.
“The purchase and use of poor-quality condoms will adversely affect every aspect of condom promotion for the prevention of unintended pregnancy, and protection against HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections. If condoms leak or break, they cannot offer adequate protection,” NAFDAC stated.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has taken over the case of the #EndBadGovernance protesters arraigned in the Federal High Court Abuja on Friday.
The protesters, 75 in number between the ages of 12 and 15, were charged with 10 counts of terrorism, an attempt to overthrow the government, and alleged mutiny over their participation in the nationwide protest.
Their arraignment has since generated backlash at the Federal Government from civil society organisations and oppositions leaders, who condemned the detention and prosecution of minors. They asked the government to quickly look into the matter and resolve it.
In a statement on Friday night, the AGF admitted that he is aware of the case but said there are some issues his office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable him take an informed decision.
He said that it is not within his power to vary the order of the court remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January. He, however, noted that he has directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the casefile to his office and hand over same to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) on Saturday.
The statemet reads, “It has just come to my notice that the police have arraigned those arrested in connection with the endbad governance violent protest in court for various offences including treason.
“There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me take an informed decision.
“I am aware that the court has remanded the defendants in detention centres and adjourned the case to January.
“It is not within my power to vary the order of the court remanding the defendants in detention centres and adjourning the case to January. I have, however, directed the Nigeria Police to transfer the casefile to my office and hand over same to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) tomorrow, Saturday 2nd November, 2024.
“I have further directed the DPPF to immediately put machinery in motion for consideration of the court to bring the adjournment date forward (an earlier date).”
Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted bail to 67 of the 76 protesters that were arraigned to the tune of N10m each.
Those granted bail, who are below 15 years, are expected to present one surety who must be a civil servant.
The protesters who are mainly minors, looked malnourished as four of them were hurriedly rushed out of the courtroom as they couldn’t stand on their feet.
Looking very sickly, they wriggled in pain on the floor of the courtroom.
All seventy-six of them were arrested and detained during the August 1 to 10, nationwide protest in the country which was sparked by widespread economic hardship that led many Nigerians to take to the streets to express their grievances.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), has condemned the detention and prosecution of minors involved in the EndBadGovernance protest in the nation.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, the senator described the detention as inhumane and unjust, urging the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the detention of the teenagers.
He also urged the NJC to examine the actions of the presiding judge in their case.
The minors were brought before an Abuja Federal High Court, where Justice Obiora Egwuatu presided on Friday.
Justice Egwuatu granted bail of ₦10 million to 72 defendants, including the “malnourished minors,” in connection with their alleged involvement in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest.
He also mandated that each defendant secure two sureties in the same amount.
It is important to note that a significant number of Nigerians participated in protests against “bad governance” during the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which commenced on August 1 and concluded on August 10, 2024.
However, many of the demonstrators, including minors, were subsequently arrested for their participation in the protests.
But Senator Musa said, “I strongly condemn the unjust detention of minors following the #EndBadGovernance protests. It is deeply troubling that despite the hardships and challenges these young children have endured, there is a push to have them imprisoned rather than afforded compassion and understanding.
“Such actions are not only inhumane but also unjust. I also condemn the judicial stance advocating for the continued detention of these minors, which is entirely unacceptable and contrary to the principles of justice and fairness.
“I call upon the Inspector General of Police to launch an immediate investigation into this matter to ensure accountability and protect the rights of these young citizens.
This issue must be addressed urgently, and I will continue to stand with my constituents and all Nigerians in the pursuit of justice and good governance.”