The Internet was practically set ablaze this week following the events that unfolded when a controversial cross dresser, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, was crowned the ‘best dressed female’ at the premiere of actress and filmmaker, Eniola Ajao’s  movie titled, ‘Ajakaju (Beast of Both Worlds)’, last Sunday.

Amusa, Adebayo trade words  

Actress, Dayo Amusa’s criticism of the decision to give Bobrisky the award ignited a firestorm of reactions, as she lambasted a fellow actor, Femi Adebayo, for making the announcement.

Amusa claimed that it was an insult to the ladies that were at the premiere for the award, which allegedly came with a cash prize of N1m, to be given to Bobrisky. According to her, if the organisers felt that cross dressers deserved to get an award, they should have created a category for them.

However, Adebayo’s wife, Aduke, was having none of that as she accused Amusa of hypocrisy, and stirring up further tension. She stated that if Amusa was not happy with the award, she should have directed her grievances at the organisers of the event, rather than her husband, who was only called upon to announce the winner.

On his part, Adebayo accused Amusa of not being happy with his success. He added, “You can never have peace of mind, because I have just started. You better channel your energy to your career.”

Bobrisky also sued for peace, urging critics to focus on the judges’ decision, rather than targeting Femi Adebayo. 

Reacting to the call-out, some fans accused Amusa of unfairly targeting Adebayo.

A fan, City Girl, wrote, “But, he only presented the award. What’s his own?”

Kiki Sanchex opined, “She is trans(gender) and now identifies as a woman. I am not necessarily a fan, but she (Bobrisky) went there as a woman, dressed the part and won fair. I see no problem here.”

Omowunmi wrote, “Even if Bob(risky) did not win, Dayo you had no chance of winning.”

However, another fan, Lady Que, shared Amusa’s opinion. She wrote, “A man winning the best dressed female is disrespectful to women who attended the event.”

Portable, Bobrisky fight dirty

However, the drama took another dimension when controversial singer, Portable, condemned the decision to name Bobrisky the winner. Taking to his Instagram page, Portable asked Bobrisky to stop referring to himself as a woman. This led the duo to trade expletives in several voice notes.

Expectedly, Bobrisky did not take Portable’s criticism lightly, as she cursed the singer and his family.

As tensions continued to rise, one of Portable’s baby mothers, Honey Berry, issued a stern warning to Bobrisky, saying that she would hold him accountable if any harm befell her child due to the curses he had cast.

Not done, Portable went ahead to release a ‘diss’ track titled, ‘Yansh like Fufu’, which has been gaining traction online.

Ajao makes U-turn, tenders apology  

Apparently overwhelmed at the turn of events, Eniola Ajao tendered a public apology to the people who felt offended by the decision to name Bobrisky the winner of the award. She added that it was nothing but a publicity stunt. A statement she released read in part, “I write to you today with a heavy heart, filled with regret and remorse over the events that unfolded at my movie premiere. I address you all today, taking full responsibility and seeking your pardon with my deepest regrets for the distress and turmoil caused by the events surrounding the premiere of ‘Ajakaju’.

“First, I want to extend my sincerest apologies to the Muslim community, especially during this sacred month of Ramadan. To the women in our society, I (also) want to express my profound apologies. I want to assure you that I have the utmost reverence for womanhood, and I would never intentionally engage in any behavior that diminishes or disparages the role of women in society.”

She also apologised to Femi Adebayo and his wife for the undue backlash they faced as a result of the announcement he made. 

Ajao went on to withdraw the award from Bobrisky and named actress, Iyabo Ojo, and a social media influencer, Raheem Halimah, aka Papaya Ex, as the new winners, awarding them a cash gift of N1m each.

Operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, arrested seventy-four (74) suspected internet fraudsters in Ogun State.

The anti-graft agency said the alleged fraudsters were arrested at Government Residential Area, G.R.A, Shagamu, in Ogun State.

According to the Commission in a statement on its Twitter page, their arrest followed surveillance and intelligence exposing their suspected internet-related offenses.

Items recovered from them include seven exotic cars, three laptops, 124 mobile phones, one PlayStation 3 game, two motorcycles and other incriminating documents.

The statement added that the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Following the recent exponential rise in the rate of banditry and kidnapping in the country, Nigerians have been speaking against the development.

One of the vocal voices against the ugly trend is the Bishop of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Kukah, who feels that those who have close affinity or ties with the bandits have questions to answer.

He believes that the comments coming from such persons, as disturbing and suspicious as they are, equally exacerbate the situation, and that such persons should be thoroughly interrogated.

Kukah, who expressed his worries over the spate of kidnappings across schools in the country, raised questions about the Federal Government’s failure to investigate the individuals that claim to have close ties with bandits.

The Catholic cleric made his position known in an interview on Tuesday.

Berating the Federal Government for failing to take a decisive action to end the incessant abductions, which he noted, could have a psychological effect on the children, he said: “It is clear that the Federal Government at the highest level knows what is going on, at least the intelligence community has an idea.

“There are key Nigerians, who are saying openly that they know more than they think the rest of us know, and I think that it is the business of the Federal Government to find out those who claim to know where the bandits are, those who are collaborating with the bandits.”

Kukah’s call came barely 48 hours after 137 schoolchildren, who were kidnapped in Kuriga, Kaduna State, were released from captivity.

In the last one month, cases of kidnapping have assumed a dangerous and frightening dimension.

The month of March appears to have been the worst period for the country as the bandits have been riding roughshod over the country since the beginning of the month.

It started on March 3, with the kidnapping of 112 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from their camp in Gamboru Ngala area of Borno State.

On March 7, bandits struck again in Kaduna State, where they abducted schoolchildren from primary and secondary schools. This was coming four days after the Borno incident.

Again, on March 10, bandits reportedly kidnapped no fewer than 15 Tsangaya students at Gidan Bakuso area of Gada Local Government Area in Sokoto State.

However, in the midst of all these, a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has been consistent in his message that the use of force on the bandits would only aggravate the already bad situation.

He has repeatedly and emphatically advised the Federal Government to approach the bandits, find out what their grouse is, and possibly, adhere to their demands if the country wants to experience peace.

Gumi’s position has been interpreted in some quarters to mean that he knows where the bandits that have been terrorising the country are located and should be able to help the government flush them out once and for all.

Others are of the view that Gumi could allegedly be working in cahoots with the bandits.

Those on this side of the argument are of the view that Gumi should be arrested and interrogated if the country wants to get to the root of banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria.

Perhaps, that accounts for Bishop Kukah’s call that all the people that have links with the bandits, including Gumi, should be properly interrogated.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government said Gumi has been invited for questioning over his comments on the activities of bandits in the country.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Information and Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while addressing journalists at the State House, Abuja, on Monday.

He said: “The security agencies are up and doing. Sheikh Gumi or any other person is not above the law.

“If his suggestions are constructive enough for the security agencies to take, they will take, but if they think that he is also making some statements that appear to be reckless, he will also be reprimanded.

“There is nobody that is above the law in this regard. And I am aware that he has been a guest of the security agencies to answer questions. When you make remarks that border on our national security, it is incumbent on the security agencies to dig further.”

The controversial cleric had on several occasions faulted the Federal Government on the continued use of force or kinetic means to secure the release of victims of kidnapping, saying, “The government ought to go closer to the bandits and study them to provide them with better living conditions.”

However, Kukah’s call has elicited reactions from well meaning Nigerians, with many saying he was apt on his call.

Applauding Kukah for speaking out the minds of many Nigerians, the President of the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, Dr. Pogu Bitrus told DAILY POST that it was a popular voice because that is the right thing to be done by any civilised society.

“In any organised society, anybody associated with a criminal should be investigated. Investigation is to find out if it is true that there is such an association between an individual or individuals and the bandits, as well as the extent of such an association?

“In other words, it is to establish if such an individual is really an accomplice. So, it is necessary for the government to investigate these people because we have suffered enough in this country,” he said.

He blamed the government for allowing insecurity to fester in the country.

He said: “Due to the government’s inaction, these bandits and terrorists have become law unto themselves, and it is the state that has now become the victim instead of the criminals.

“They kidnap at will; we go and pay ransom to secure the release of our people, who had been kidnapped, and by doing so, we finance and keep them in action.

“In a normal society, they would have been fished out a long time ago one by one and eliminated or put to jail depending on the legal system that is in operation.

“But in Nigeria, they have their big brothers wherever they are, which may include these people, who are claiming that they have ties with them, and they ensure that they are protected.”

He disagreed with the views in some quarters that the bandits bear more sophisticated weapons than the country’s security agents.

He said: “That is why I don’t agree that these people are too powerful or that they have more sophisticated weapons than our military.

“It is a lie; it’s all propaganda by the same people promoting insurgency.

“So, these people should be apprehended and interrogated to find out their level of involvement and any other person, whether in the security forces or in the government; whether the person is a former president or whatever, who is suspected to have a hand in the insecurity that is plaguing the country, must be interrogated because we have suffered enough.

“Ordinary Nigerians are paying the price; people are living in fear. Some people cannot travel again because of fear.

“And due to fear, people can’t go to the farms anymore because the bandits will either kill them or abduct them and force their relatives to sell properties or borrow money to pay for ransom. So, criminality has to be addressed and fought head on; not all these rhetoric.

“We thank God that the current president must have shown the political will and that is why, as far as I am concerned, the military is now doing the job better than before.”

He called on the government to go all out in the fight against the criminal elements and their sponsors.

“The president should go further; there should be no sacred cow or superiority of anybody in the north.

“All these things started from the north; whether it is the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency from Borno or the herdsmen militia from the Northwest coming into the Middle Belt and going down South; they are all problems of the North. Nobody should be above the law; they should be brought to book and let us have peace,” he stated.

He challenged the president to prove his mettle by going after the criminal elements terrorising Nigerians anywhere they are.

He said: “If Tinubu has the balls to say he is the president, he should get these people to book. And when that is done, others will either fall in line as their boys in the bushes to lay down their arms and become normal citizens if they are Nigerians or leave Nigeria, else they will be dealt with.

“So, Kukah’s call is in order because that is the way forward and the way a sane country which is not a banana republic should react.”

In his contribution, a former lawmaker in the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon Shehu Yusuf also expressed total support for Bishop Kukah’s position, saying, “I totally support Kukah’s view.

“What he said should be properly looked into because I cannot understand how an individual or some persons within a community would claim to have ties with bandits that are living in the bush and who have been kidnapping, terrorising and collecting ransom from the people, and the government is keeping quiet.

“The government should rise to the occasion, and bring the people to answer questions about their relationship with the bandits.

“And if possible, they should assist the government with the locations of the bandits, their modus operandi, and why they are doing what they are doing. The call is in order and Nigerians should put pressure on the government to listen to Bishop Kukah’s call,” he said in an interview with DAILY POST.

For the President of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, the Catholic Bishop has not said anything outside what Nigerians expected.

“No Nigerian citizen today will tell you that they are happy with the situation, where criminals would be encouraged to hold the country to ransom as a sovereign nation; it is not done anywhere.

“Bishop Kukah has just re-echoed what many Nigerians have been saying.

“The government should go all out to find the sponsors of these criminals, their friends, and those who have dealings with them and punish them once and for all,” he told DAILY POST.

Godswill Akpabio, senate president, has hinted that the upper legislative chamber may consider lifting the suspension on Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central.

Akpabio spoke on Friday upon his return to Abuja from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) general assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

BACKGROUND

Early this month, Ningi sparked controversy when he alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion and that the country is operating two budgets concurrently.

Subsequently, the senate debated the matter at the “committee of the whole”.

The senator was thereafter suspended for three months for allegedly not providing evidence to back his allegations.

NINGI THREATENS TO SUE AKPABIO

In a letter dated March 27 and addressed to Akpabio through Femi Falana, his counsel, Ningi gave the senate president a seven-day ultimatum to lift his suspension from the upper legislative chamber.

Ningi described his suspension as “illegal”, saying he would approach a federal high court for his reinstatement if the suspension is not lifted within seven days.

“Apart from violating our client’s fundamental right to a fair hearing, the Senate violated the right of the entire people of the Bauchi Central Senatorial District to representation in the Senate for three months,” the letter reads.

“This is a breach of section 111 of the Constitution and article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Act.

“As you are no doubt aware, the Federal High Court had struck down the suspension of some members of the Senate and the House of Representatives who had accused the leadership of both houses of corruption or abuse of office.”

‘NINGI WILL JOIN US IN A FEW DAYS’

Speaking on Friday, Akpabio said although he was yet to receive the letter, he believes that Ningi will rejoin the senate in a few days.

“It is a parliamentary decision. I have not seen the letter yet,” Akpabio said.

“But senator Ningi is one of us. I mean what is suspension? I believe that in a few days, he will join us.

“So, there is no problem. It would be resolved amicably. The senate is a family.”

The Governor of Kebbi, Nasir Idris, has called for a change in how the nation’s revenue is shared.

The governor opined that states should receive a greater share than the federal government.

Idris said that a reassessment of the distribution formula of federal allocations would address the democratic aspirations of the people.

He said that this should be carefully examined, especially in the area of having the police force under the administration of state governments nationwide.

He said this during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Friday, expressing concern that the revenue-sharing formula heavily favoured the federal government at the expense of the states.

“A situation where the federal government takes 55 per cent of the total share of the revenue was, to say the least, unfair. We must look at the formula in order to meet our campaign promises to our citizens,” he said.

“When you look at it, the states and local governments are the closest to the people and most of the challenges faced directly by citizens are handled by the states and local governments.

“It is in the state that you find the farmers, the artisans, and the poorest of the poor and it is our responsibility as governors to make life meaningful and worth living for them.

“So, I believe that the federal government has fewer responsibilities in terms of direct interaction with Nigerians. Governors and local government chairmen deal directly with the people and that is a huge burden on them.

“Our revenues should be shared in such a way that state and local governments that often have direct interactions with the Nigerian people should collect a higher percentage to meet their yearnings and aspirations,” Idris said.

The Labour Party, LP, 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has dismissed claims of dumping the party.

Obi said he’s still a member and will never be involved in an anti-party.

He spoke while addressing Nigerians on X Space hosted by Parallel Facts on Friday.

“I am still a member of the Labour Party and I don’t and will never do anti-party,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor also insisted that he didn’t lose the 2023 presidential election.

He said the impact of his followers known as Obidients were felt in Nigeria and the globe.

“We did not lose the election of 2023, we won, your (Obidients) impact was felt all over the world and you can’t take that for granted.

“It’s actually a stepping stone, hold your head high and celebrate. Together, a new Nigeria is possible,” he added.

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, says the victory of Bassirou Diomaye Faye in Senegal has underscored the need for opposition parties in Nigeria to unite and remove President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Atiku also said Faye’s emergence as Senegalese President-Elect shows that democracy is the best form of government.

Posting on X, Atiku wrote: “Against the backdrop of recent military interventions in the West African subregion, the election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye as Senegal’s President-elect in the election of March 24, 2024 gives hope to the future of constitutional democracy in the region.

“For us in Nigeria and elsewhere, there’s a huge lesson to be learnt from the Senegal experience. It is an affirmation that democracy, which is anchored on the supremacy of the ballot, represents the best form of government. It is also possible for the electoral umpire to run an election on the basis of the law and its own guidelines that give confidence to all parties and the voters.

“Our experiences in both 2019 and 2023 show clearly that INEC performed below this expectation.

“Whereas in Senegal, the responses of the major actors and the citizens are a validation of the process of the election that voted for President-elect Bassirou Diomaye.

“It is important to note that last Sunday’s election in Senegal follows the trend of that in Nigeria in 2015 that the opposition can indeed be victorious in an election conducted by the ruling party.

“And for the opposition parties, the lessons are in agreement with my persistent call for our opposition parties to forge a coalition that is formidable enough to oust the ruling party if the salvaging of Nigeria is to stand any chance.

“Congratulations, President-elect Faye. It is my hope and prayer that your election will not only be hugely beneficial to the people of Senegal but also an inspiration to the rest of us in the West African subregion.”

The naira, on Friday, appreciated to N1,280 per dollar at the parallel section of the foreign exchange (FX) market.

The current FX rate signifies a 5.19 percent appreciation from the N1,350/$ reported on March 27.

Currency traders in Lagos, also known as bureau de change (BDCs) operators, quoted the buying rate of the greenback at N1,260 and the selling price at N1,280 — leaving a profit margin of N20.

“The price of the dollar as well as other major currencies have been falling. It is affecting our business as some customers prefer to keep their currencies than change it with us,” a currency trader identified as Aliyu told TheCable.

At the official section of the FX market, the local currency depreciated by 0.69 percent to N1,309.39/$ on March 28 — from N1,300.43/$ on March 27.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on March 29, said the economy recorded over $1.5 billion in foreign exchange (FX) inflow this month, indicating its monetary policy initiatives are effective.

The apex bank said the naira is headed in the right direction, and the administration of Yemi Cardoso, CBN governor, remains committed to ensuring the stability of the market and the appropriate pricing of the naira against other major currencies worldwide.

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party for 2023 elections has declared his stance on the recent national convention of the party that saw Barr Julius Abure emerge as national chairman.

Addressing Nigerians on X Space hosted by Parallel Facts on Friday, Peter Obi said he ignored the convention because the party leadership under Abure failed to do wide consultation with key stakeholders of the party before embarking on the said convention.

The former Anambra Governor emphasised the need for the right thing to be done to salvage the party, adding that he is more passionate about building a new Nigeria than building a new Labour Party.

“We promised to build Nigeria, we did not promise to build a New Labour Party,” he emphatically affirmed.

He also threw his weight behind the call for a structure for the ‘OBIdient’ movement.

“It is the standard practice around the world where movements form themselves into blocs and are part of the political process,” he added.

Recall the LP has been in crisis in recent times with many of its supporters calling for a proper restructuring of the party ahead of 2027.

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State says his administration is about to build a three-bedroom house for the parents of a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who returned to her parents’ thatch house to thank her dad for sacrificing a lot to send her to school.

Mr Eno said he was touched by a video clip showing the unidentified NYSC member returning home to praise her dad for choosing to live in a thatched house while spending his money to train her in school.

The governor’s remark is contained in a video clip posted, Friday, on the X page of the Akwa Ibom State Government.

The NYSC member and her parents are from Cross River State, which shares a boundary with Akwa Ibom State.

GOVERNOR UMO ENO TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR THE FAMILY OF A CORP MEMBER WHOSE VIDEO WENT VIRAL, FOLLOWING HER RETURN HOME TO HONOR HER FATHER WHO LIVED IN A THATCH HOUSE. PIC.TWITTER.COM/BQYPPUA4A0

— AKWA IBOM STATE GOVT (@AKSGOVT) MARCH 29, 2024

 

A team from the Akwa Ibom State Government visited the family in Cross River to identify them and begin building a house for them, Mr Eno said in the video.

“The moral lesson behind what that young woman did is for her to go back to that (thatch) house and make her father proud,” the governor said.