The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on Monday.
Tinubu’s flight touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and was welcomed by a crowd of supporters.
The president-elect arrived from France in the company of his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to a rousing welcome by party faithful and supporters who had been anticipating his arrival.
Recall that WITHIN NIGERIA had, earlier reported that Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria today, ahead of the May 29 inauguration.
Tinubu’s return to Nigeria was confirmed by the Secretary of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. James Faleke on Sunday.
Media
The government of Lagos state has dismissed reports that the state’s park and garages management committee under the leadership of Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo has been dissolved.
Spokesperson of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice Grace Alo said in a statement that the validity of the park committee was not an issue before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).
Justice Maureen Esowe of the NICN had ruled that the suspension of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in the state was unconstitutional, hence, ordering a reinstatement.
The state government suspended the operations of RTEAN in September 2022 following a fracas and constituted a 35-man caretaker committee.
But the state government said it set up the park administrators’ ad-hoc committee on the operations of commercial road transport workers activities within garages and motor parks and not a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the RTEAN.
“The state government has applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgement and intends to file an appeal in respect of same. All affected parties are enjoined to remain calm and be law-abiding,” the statement added.
says Wase best candidate for Speakership position
The Leader Of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has said Igbo would be in trouble should Orji Kalu loses his aspiration of becoming the next Senate President.
In a statement signed Monday by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele made it known that the opposition parties in the house can put up a good fight in the race but they will be divided because of money.
‘’I still maintain that the best candidate for senate president is Orji Uzor Kalu. If he loses it Igbo will be in trouble.
“The Igbos in the house will make it difficult for him but to balance the situation, an Igbo person and a Christian is better. A Muslim emerging the next senate president will lead to crisis, there will be so much rowdy session and disagreement in the house,’’ he said.
He also said the best candidate to become the next House of Representatives speaker is Ahmed Wase, the current deputy speaker.
‘’If the opposition parties put themselves together as expected, they will shake the speakership race but there will be division among them because money will separate them.
“Money will make them not come together to produce a good candidate. The proposed coalition among opposition parties in the House of Representatives will not work. The deputy speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase is the best candidate. He will stabilize the house,” he added.
[Tribune]
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has said the forgiveness that president Muhammadu Buhari seeks from Nigerians will come when the anomaly that characterised the 2023 general election is addressed.
Recall that a penitent Buhari, while speaking when he hosted some residents of the federal capital territory at the presidential villa during Eid-el-Fitr celebration, had appealed to Nigerians he might have hurt and offended in the course of his presidency to forgive him and let bygone be bygone.
Reacting to Buhari’s act of contrition, the National President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, said there was nothing wrong in Buhari seeking forgiveness because that meant he realised he made a mistake and didn’t fulfill his promises to Nigeria.
He, however, said the problem with Buhari seeking forgiveness is that it may set dangerous precedent where another person will come, abdicate his responsibility as president, renege on his promises and perform abysmally and then ask people to forgive him
He said “it is not bad for anyone who has made a mistake to apologise and to seek forgiveness. He has realised that he did not do all he was supposed to do as president and he is begging Nigerians to forgive him.
“However, the issue is that anyone can come tomorrow, do the same thing and ask for forgiveness and this doesn’t solve our problems. If he wants us to forgive him, let him right the wrongs done by INEC so that we can have the right people in office and have the kind of Nigeria that we are looking for. He should not hand over to crooks but let him ensure that the right person comes into office.
“The nonsense that INEC has done should be reversed, the truth has to be established and there should not be any interference that would make the Supreme Court twist the constitution and twist justice in favour of the highest bidder. If he does that, Nigerians would hail him as the greatest leader.
“Nigerians would only forgive him if he does the right thing. Let him not hand over to Nigeria, problems that would put them in a deeper hole. The presidential election was not conducted properly, he is the one who appointed the INEC chairman, so he should stand his ground and ensure that the right thing is done,” Pogu said.
A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and former commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in Niger State, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, asked president Muhammadu Buhari to turn to God, and not Nigerians, for forgiveness.
Vatsa said for the president to publicly come out to ask for forgiveness showed the blood of innocent Nigerians, including women and children killed and spilled across the country by killer herdsmen were haunting him.
The former publicity secretary of the APC in Niger State, told newsmen in Minna, that apart from the president’s negative policies that have sent millions of Nigerians to employment market, early graves and permanent poverty, the eight years of Buhari’s administration were the worst in the country’s history.
Vatsa said there was no way the millions of traumatised Nigerians could forgive Buhari.
He claimed President Buhari did not come to power with god intentions for the majority of citizens, but with a different agenda, saying “unfortunately he met a very sophisticated Nigeria and it was difficult to implement his agenda.”
Vatsa who flayed the president’s poor handling of security challenges in the last eight years wondered which category of Nigerians he imagined would forgive him.
“Is it the women whose husbands have been killed by armed bandits or men that their wives were raped and in some cases killed by bandits, or children that have been turned to orphans because his government failed to discharge its primary responsibility of protecting innocent Nigerians, or is it parents of female students and married women that have been abducted by bandits, raped and impregnated, given birth and sent back to their parents because his government failed to protect them?
“When you stayed in the villa and enjoyed the protection of security as the Nigerian president and gave out your daughters hands in marriage both in Abuja and in Kano at a luxury wedding, the daughters of poor and innocent Nigerians were being raped by bandits in the jungle, some of them came back with unwanted pregnancies and babies, some of them did not have the luxury of giving their daughters hands in marriage even if it was in a low-key ceremony…Your last project of currency re-design, up till now I don’t know if we made gain or loss, but I know common Nigerians suffered dearly for it, and are still suffering, some even died…
“When he was a military officer, he fought the civil war to keep Nigeria one, when he became civilian president he divided Nigeria along ethnic lines, he was only concerned with his brothers and nephews in Niger Republic and even took a rail line to them.”
Vatsa said in years to come, Nigerians would continue to remember the pains, agony and sorrow the Buhari’s administration inflicted on them, saying, “we struggled to bring this government to power in 2015 but we never knew that things will turn out to be like this, where Nigerians cannot travel freely and even sleep with their two eyes closed. Before he leaves, rather than seeking forgiveness from Nigerians, he should equally give us a rail line from Minna to Abuja, Abuja to Lokoja, and Abuja to Makurdi- Port Harcourt and Jos to Maiduguri.”
He added that if the president was really seeking forgiveness from Nigerians, he should refund all the money collected by bandits from innocent Nigerians and compensate them especially the doctor that died from the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.
“It is easy to say forgive me but whether Nigerians can forgive you is another matter and I think that will not happen because Nigerians are in pain. I forsee you being the first president in Nigeria to be taken to international criminal court. Be ready in case it happens.”
[THESUN/WITHIN NIGERIA]
Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has given his opinion regarding the strike the country’s aviation workers embarked upon.
The striking aviation unions recently gave a seven-day ultimatum to shut down the airport, with a procession to the international wing of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos.
On the first day of their two-day warning strike, the workers barricaded access roads as security operatives took over the protest venue where the unions converged.
The unions, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Employees (NAAPE), are demanding implementation of conditions of service, halt in the demolition of aviation agencies’ offices in Lagos State, payment of relocation allowances, among others, as members of the unions.
Speaking on the development, Onyema wants the strike to be the last resort, noting that workers’ complaints should be looked into.
He spoke during an interview on Arise TV
Oyeama said, Let strike be the last resort. As long as the other party is open to discussion, there should not be direct action.
However, the complaints of workers should be looked into.
Jumoke Ajulo, a former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, has reportedly welcomed her first child at 54.
She delivered her first child on Saturday.
Family members, friends and well-wishers thronged her social media page with congratulatory messages.
Ajulo made history in May 2014 when she was elected the first female Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly.
Jumoke Ajulo, who represents Okitipupa Constituency 1, was the second female State Assembly Speaker in Nigeria after Margaret Icheen of Benue State.
Shehu Sani, a former Nigerian lawmaker and social critic, says that the proposed N21 billion for the renovation of National Stadium Surulere in Lagos is unjustified on any grounds.
On Monday, he made the statement via his verified Twitter handle.
Sani said although he is aware that the stadium’s floodlight had collapsed as a result of the “rain”, it still does not justify the proposed amount.
He wrote, “I understand that the National Stadium Surulere floodlight collapsed as a result of the ’Rain’.
But please that proposal of using N21 billion to renovate that Stadium should not be justified because of this.”
Joe Igbokwe, a Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, has reacted to the exclusion of Igbos from President-elect Bola Tinubu’s transition committee.
He was astounded that Tinubu had excluded Igbos from his transition committee.
Tinubu had sent a 13-man list to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, in addition to the previous transition committee lists.
It was observed that the Southeast was excluded from the list submitted to Mustapha.
Reacting, Igbokwe questioned the authenticity of the report claiming Igbos were excluded from the committee.
In a Facebook post, Igbokwe wrote: “Please let someone help me to investigate this: can it be true that Asiwaju Transition Committee was formed without any single Igbo on the list? I’d not want to believe it is true. May it not be true.”
Residents of Osun State have expressed anger and resentment at the scarcity of the redesigned Naira notes, saying the months of suffering over the cashless policy is a waste.
They also demanded that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele should have explained to Nigerians the rationale for the Naira redesign policy.
This is coming weeks after the Buhari-led Federal Government was compelled by the Supreme Court to allow the new notes and the old ones to be legal tender.
The Federal Government, through the CBN in 2022, approved the redesign of the N200, N500 and N1000 notes.
Oladipo Joshua, a civil servant, stated that he was not happy that after the pressure he and members of his family underwent during the Naira scarcity, there was nothing really to justify the reason for the decision on the part of the government.
We didn’t have any issue with the redesigned Naira, but when the deadline came, and the suffering increased, it was as if the government deliberately wanted Nigerians to suffer.
The queues at the bank, the high rates collected by the POS agents, the extra charges you have to pay to buy everyday essentials and others became a headache.
Some Nigerians didn’t handle cash for weeks, and some lives were also lost. I can tell you for certain that Nigeria has not fully recovered from it. There is still anger in the land even though the deadline has been extended till December, 2023,” he said.
Dorcas Onigbinde, a Modakeke-based trader, recounted her experience, adding that she nearly almost lost a substantial amount due to a business transaction that almost went wrong.
My business has been cash-and-carry but due to the problem that came up after the deadline for the redesigned Naira, I had to switch to a popular Fintech to carry on with my business.
She said, I didn’t know how to work with the app, and I nearly lost a substantial sum, but luckily for a friend who called my attention to it.
Gbadebo Olawepo, a trader based in Ikirun, stated that after the issue was resolved and the CBN urged to allow for the old and new N200, N500 and N1000 as legal tender, he was expecting to see more of the new notes.
It has surprisingly been scarce. Weeks after the issue was resolved, queues were still visible in banking halls and ATMs.
He said, This is sad, and I seriously believe unless orogen otherwise that the issue with the redesigned Naira was just a means of punishing innocent Nigerians who just want to live their lives.
Louis Odinakaose, a PhD student, criticised the Federal Government for not being truthful about the reason for redesigning the Naira notes at a crucial period in the country.
They just left people guessing. A lot of conspiracy theories flying around, and nobody can give a tangible explanation for it.
It was not fair, and some people need to be called to question.
In saner climes, President Muhammadu Buhari and the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, should have been called to question. Some heads should have rolled and resignations coming from left, right and centre.
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Parroted as the man who owns Gatwick and former adviser to the United States President Donald Trump, an iconic investor was in town. His visit was fortuitous but nonetheless memorable. He had come to bury his equally well-decorated late father, Nigeria’s first professor of medicine, Theophilus Oladipo Ogunlesi, who passed on a little shy of his centennial birthday. Our August visitor had just performed the ritual of dust-to-dust and decided to breeze into the complex housing Nigeria’s avant-garde international agro-cargo airport.
Time-check: 6:07pm. On hand to receive him was the Governor of the State, Prince Dapo Abiodun and a retinue of his aides – commissioners, advisers, senior special assistants and yours truly.
From a sinecure Range Rover that snaked in through the Ilishan end of the road emerged the debonair lawyer and innovative investment banker. Welcome, Adebayo (better known as Bayo) Ogunlesi. In private employment, he was known to have brokered deals by arranging financing for $20 billion worth of industrial projects in a career that spanned over 20 years with Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). He made other daring efforts at the bank. Many of his clients were governments and firms developing energy resources in emerging markets. In 2002 Ogunlesi became the head of CSFB’s global investment banking division with 1,200 bankers and $2.8 billion in assets under his supervision.
But, he is by far more famous for his exploits as chairman and managing partner of the private equity firm, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), with multi-billion dollar global investments across sectors like transport, natural resource and power generation with company’s assets including seaports, freight, rail facilities, midstream natural resources and power generation businesses. The icing on the cake and raison d’être for calling on us this evening was his stake in the aviation industry. His company is the owner of five international airports in First World countries, including the London City Airport, Edinburgh Airport and Gatwick Airport.
A proud Remo man and illustrious son of Ogun State, Bayo Ogunlesi accompanied by his brother, Folabi, a professor and clinician-scientist were met by the State Government team. As Governor Dapo Abiodun thrust his hands in greeting, the legendary financier enthused: “You mean this place was put together under two years? That is unbelievable. That is a rare feat in the history of aviation globally!
Going down memory lane, Prince Abiodun narrated the history behind the airport that was conceived 17 years ago but remained inchoate – what he calls PowerPoint project – until two years ago.
It was becoming a pipedream but we are breathed life into it. We are actually transforming this space that was once a refuse dump site into an aerotropolis. This is unique and that explains the pace of project execution, and quality of delivery because we believe in public-private sector-driven investment initiatives and there are waiting markets to be served,” Gov. Abiodun enthused.
Abiodun added that already there is a Special Agro Processing Zone project that has been flagged off with commitment of a $400 million (out of $800million), sited at the Agro-Cargo Airport, to be executed by the state government in partnership with Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms. According to the governor, the project would be completed in another 12 months.
Abiodun further retorted, We are not just building an airport; we are building an aerotropolis – an airport city. Ours is an investment hub for businesses, besides cargo and passenger air transport. Already, a lot of agencies of government and private sectors are scrambling to be here. There will be an international agro-processing centre. We have established with the African Development Bank (AfDB), a world-class agro testing centre in Sagamu, to stimulate the standardisation of farm produce export from Africa and there a large scale aircraft maintenance, repair and operations company that has approached us to commence business.
Indeed, the focus of the airport is more on agro-export as a potential non-oil mainstay of the economy. Nigeria is indeed blessed with year-round arable food crops that are now equivalent to crude oil in the global market. Already, no fewer than 22 non-oil products have been pencilled down in the new export promotion programme of the Federal Government and Ogun State has seized the initiative as part of the zero-oil plan currently being implemented by the Nigeria Export Promotion Council in collaboration with the private sector, which is estimated to be worth over $150 billion in yearly export value at full capacity.
Among the products are palm oil, cashew, cocoa, soya beans, rubber, rice, petrochemical, leather, ginger, cotton and Shea butter, tomato, banana and plantain, cassava, cowpeas, and spices, some of which are cultivated in the region.
As the conversation continued, amidst suspense and surprise, Ogunlesi requested a facility tour of the ambitious project, sitting on 5000 hectares of land in the agrarian community of Ilisan in the Ikenne Local Government Area of the state and industrial hub of the South-west region. Ensconced in the passenger’s seat of the Governor’s staff car, Prince Abiodun, like the lead marketer for the project narrated to Ogunlesi the business model of the Agro-cargo Airport and was overheard saying: “We took the bull by the horn to revive this dream and keep the vision of Ogun First alive.
From the apron of the airport, the iconoclastic investor saw the expansive 3.8km runway that is 95 per cent ready, the ongoing work on the five-storey control tower, administrative building and fire station, with the twin terminals for cargo and passenger. Barring any shift in timelines, the multi-billion-naira facility, he was told, will hold one of the fastest-built airport records in the country – that is, about less than 24 months from start to finish.
Construction started here in late October 2021. The State government said that the new facility promises far more to the local and regional economy despite viability concerns. Abiodun’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ade Akinsanya, was handy to explain the engineering details.
Akinsanya said, The strategic location of the Class E facility was strategic to its economic goals. On the west-end of the airport is the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while the Sagamu–Benin Expressway is on the south. That is central to the entire region. Note that Lagos is too crowded as it is. The cargo operators are not having a good time; the passengers also are complaining. So, this will be a relief to everyone. Passengers can land here and be in Lagos within 30 minutes and those going to the east, they can land here and be anywhere within a few hours. So, the basis for viability is its best location and it will be a big relief for Lagos.
He said further that the runway was built to land wide-body aircraft models like Airbus 350 and Boeing 777, with an apron wide enough to accommodate four aircraft at a go.
Right now, the runway is ready. We have had a couple of test flights for both commercial and private aircraft. I don’t think any airport can rival it anywhere within this country and the facility is unique. The standards are world-class. The terminals – one for passengers and the other for cargo – are a hybrid of what they have in Morocco and a bit of Paris, in France. It is a work of art. The same thing also with the control tower – it is something unique, Akinsanya said to the amazement of the home-comer. The team, Akinsanya quipped, learnt valuable lessons from the chaotic Lagos Airport, therefore, opening six access routes into the new facility, to which an unusually patriotic Ogunlesi jokingly interjected: “San Francisco where you (Akinsanya) lived may be going under, not our Lagos and Ogun State!” Akinsanya earned his epaulets as a resourceful engineer in the US city.
As the inspection came to a close and darkness and showers of rain drizzled, Ogunlesi shared his thoughts saying: “This is no doubt the fastest airport to be constructed anywhere in the world. The place is fantastic. I was telling the governor that I have never heard of any airport constructed so fast. In fact, when he told me, I had to bow because I have never heard of an airport built in two years and the concept, the idea, the location and the strategic nature of this airport are fantastic.
He said, These are exactly the things we need in Nigeria; this is what will take Nigeria forward to the next century and beyond. I am ecstatic because as the governor mentioned, the government’s role is to facilitate the development of the airport; the government has no interest in running airports. There are people whose businesses are to run airports; so, we get it built, we get it financed.
Ogunlesi said the airport built to international standard is capable of taking any size of plane, noting: “The governor said once we get it built, we will find somebody who is in the business of running airport to come and manage it professionally and by the way, they will pay taxes to the government. So that will be good, that is the way things should be done.
Think about the strategic location, right in the middle of Ogun State with access to two critical super highways. Think about all of the industrial facilities that can be built around this airport, and all the jobs that will be created. I think Mr. Governor is a visionary.
As he waved to go, Ogunlesi made a promise: “When next I come home, my plane will land here instead of MMA”, in reference to the busiest airport in the country – the Murtala Muhammad Airport in Lagos.
The Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate in the just concluded 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has appealed to the Muslim community in Anambra State to disregard anyone accusing him of disliking the Northerners.
Meanwhile, Tribune Online reported Bashir Ahmad, a special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, had earlier berated the LP standard-bearer, accusing him of disliking the North, adding that the region would never support his presidential ambition.
Obi made the appeal at the Central Mosque, Onitsha, Anambra State, on Sunday, where he went to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr with the Muslim ummah residing in the state.
While presenting food items and cash gift of N500,000 to the Community, Obi explained that his visit was to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr with them as he has always done, promising to continue to support the muslims in the state and other parts of the country.
Reiterating the need for Nigerians to love and appreciate one another, he stated that every Nigerian should be free to live and thrive in any part of the country without intimidation or harassment.
“I am a Nigerian who believes in Nigeria. My ADC when I was Governor, Idris, is a Northerner from Kano State, and he is a good man. I have never discriminated against anyone based on religion or tribe, and I will never do that. I want the whole nation to hold me accountable on this. I will never discriminate against anybody. I will continue to support you especially in areas of education, health and your worship.
“Please disregard anyone who tells you that I do not like the Northerners. I love every Nigerian,” Obi said.
The Secretary of the Muslim Community in Anambra, Barr Mahmoud Imam, in his speech on behalf of others, registered their displeasure with what he described as unnecessary lies and propaganda against Obi in the politics of Nigeria.
According to him, Obi has remained supportive to the Muslim community from his days as the Governor of Anambra State.
He described Obi as a true and detribalised Nigerian who does not segregate against tribe, religion or ethnicity.
He said they were not happy with the religious and ethnic colouration being given to Obi and his quest for New Nigeria.
According to him, Obi is a man who has continued to give them support through many challenges they have been through, as people in the state.
“We follow the news, and we are not pleased with the many negative stories people tell about Obi’s relationship with the North. We here are not only close to Obi, but we have remained the consistent beneficiaries of his benevolence. So we can say, authoritatively, that the stories making the rounds online, that Peter Obi does not care for Northerners, are false.
“When our mosque was burnt down, he quickly rebuilt it for us, and made it even better. During the crisis that erupted in the State in 2006, Obi ensured that no Hausa man was hurt. He gave us maximum security in the barracks. Throughout his 8 years as a Governor, he would invite us to the government house every year during Sallah celebration, eat and celebrate with us. This time around, he decided to visit and celebrate with us in the mosque.
“Many of our people here, not less than 150 were sponsored by Peter Obi to Mecca for pilgrimage, over the years. We equally watched his movements during the campaign, how he toured the Northern part of Nigeria and visited places no one expected. We are happy with our relationship with him and with the North. He is a true Nigerian,” Imam said.
In his words of appreciation, the Chief Imam of Central Mosque, Onitsha, Alhaji Abdulrahman Hamza Imam, appreciated Obi for his benevolence and prayed Allah to continue to protect, bless and guide him always.
Respite may be coming the way of the over 4,000 Nigerians presently trapped in war-torn Sudan as the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema has expressed the willingness to evacuate the stranded Nigerians from the North-East African country free of charge.
Onyema who said the Nigerian students and others urgently needed help said if the Nigerians could be moved to a neigbouring country the airline would fly there and evacuate them since Sudan’s airspace is closed from civil aviation flights.
Onyema said he is compelled to help because Nigeria cannot afford to lose her citizens in that country, adding that it would be his own commitment to making sure that the stranded Nigerians in the war-torn country are safe.
According to him, everything must not be left for government alone, especially as the situation calls for urgency and immediate action.
His words: “Again, Air Peace is willing to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Sudan free of charge if government can get them to a safe and secure airport in any of the neighbouring countries bordering Sudan. Everything must not be left for government and government alone. It will be a privilege and honour of tremendous pride that we will be out there to give every Nigerian stranded in Sudan a sense of pride and oneness in their country.
“We are very ready to do it immediately. No time wasting. Any action that would promote national pride, national cohesion, peace and unity, we are for it. Again, we have no apologies for believing in our nation and loving the nation despite certain national challenges. If they are moved to Kenya or Uganda or any other country, we will move in to get them out. Some parents have started calling on us to help. We are ready to do this again and again”.
Air Peace had in 2019 deployed aircraft to South Africa to evacuate Nigerians caught up in xenophobic attacks against Africans particularly Nigerians living in that country which threatened the lives of Nigerians.
The Yobe State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service has dispelled reports alleging that inmates engaged in reckless sexual activities following weeks of blackout in correctional centres in the state.
The Command, through its Public Relations Officer, ASC Haruna Isa, in a statement issued on Monday, described the report as false, unpatriotic and malicious as it is meant to truncate the existing peace and tranquillity in custodial facilities under it.
There is no sexual activity going on in any of the correctional formations across the command.
he maintained, Obviously, the said malicious report was intended to mislead the general public
The command expressed worry over the blackout at the centres, noting that it had already taken steps to address the situation.
ASC advised, Media outfits are enjoined to always verify their reports before going to the press and members of the public are also advised to disregard the report in its entirety.