The former governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has reacted to the clash between the operatives of the Department of State Service and officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).
Naija News recalls that a fight broke out between the secret police and prison officials on Tuesday after Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele bail in the sum of N20m.
DSS operatives and prison officials fought over the custody of the suspended CBN governor.
Fayose in his reaction to the development in a post on his Twitter account assured that President Bola Tinubu would take decisive actions over the actions of the operatives of the DSS.
The former governor revealed that it was necessary so that the secret police wouldn’t begin to give his government a bad name.
Fayose wrote, “The DSS act of lawlessness at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos today, should be condemned by all lovers of democracy and rule of law in the country. It is painful that the DSS is yet to come to terms with the fact that the President of Nigeria today, is a product of struggles for democracy and won’t superintend over any act of lawlessness.
“The actions of the DSS today are no doubt bringing a negative image to the Govt and I’m sure that President Tinubu will act swiftly to curb their excesses so that they don’t give his govt bad name just as they did to the immediate past government. This is a function of failed or power-drunk leadership in the DSS. It’s time for the President to act.
“No doubt, I am not a fan of Emefiele’s actions as CBN Governor which threw Nigerians into untold hardships with the politically motivated change of Naira notes. However, it behooves on leaders of this country to speak out against acts capable of undermining democracy and the rule of law.
“Nigeria is under civil authority and security agencies, especially the DSS should be properly guided to purge themselves of this display of overzealousness.
“The DSS men that participated in today’s show of shame should be promptly brought to book. More so that it happened within the sacred premises of the court.
“Most importantly, restructuring of the Organization is imperative for today Nigeria that is desirous of deepening democratic governance.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ministerial list will be delivered to the Senate on Thursday, it has been learnt.
The Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele disclosed this while giving a response at his 60th Anniversary Lecture and Book Presentation titled: “Leadership through communication” in Abuja.
Bamidele, who appreciated his guests for supporting and honouring him, however, said Tinubu who was billed to be the father of the day called to say he could not make it to the event because of ongoing work to ensure that the ministerial list is delivered to the Senate in the next 48 hours.
Bamidele said: “At 10.03 am this morning, Mr President, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was on the phone. He said to me Opeyemi, … I need to make myself unavailable in the next 48 hours because a correspondence must come to the Senate, a very crucial correspondence.
“Mr President prayed for me. He asked me to give the phone to my wife and he prayed for my wife.
“And said the two of us should join the rest of Nigerians and pray for him to be able to make the right decision on the list in 24 hours so that when Nigerians hear the list of his ministers they will say yes, this is uncommon.
“So join us in praying for Mr. President. He needed to be away from any kind of influence. I tell you that prayer means a lot to my family and pray God will grant him all the wisdom in taking his decision…”
Senate President Goodwill Akpabio lauded Bamidele for his loyalty to Tinubu for over 30 years when he served as an aide to him in the National Assembly in 1992.
On the heels of subsidy removal, the Federal Government has said that there is no plan to reduce working days for employees of the Federal Civil Service.
Speaking on the issue with journalists in Abuja on the sidelines of a media parley to commemorate the 2023 Civil Service Week, the Head of the Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, said there was no need for that because the Tinubu-led administration is assiduously working on palliatives that would sustain civil servants, hence no cause for alarm.
According to Yemi-Esan, part of the measures by the Federal Government is to purchase mass transit buses that would run on gas and not diesel, which already the buses being converted from diesel to gas-powered vehicles.
She further stated that salary of workers are being reviewed and there will be an increase in it to also cushion the impact of subsidy removal.
She said: “We don’t have any plans to reduce working days for civil servants in view of the hike in PMS and cost of transportation. However, a committee has been set up to look into this.
“The committee is currently working on getting gas-powered buses to convey civil servants to and fro. We are also working on the conversion of some vehicles from PMS into gas
“Also, the minimum wage is also being reviewed.”
Some constitutional lawyers have requested that President Bola Tinubu summon the Department of State Services (DSS).
The lawyers led by Barr. Tijani Ahmed issued a statement condemning the clash between the secret police and the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) over the custody of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Recall that Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of the N20m.
The judge had ordered that the bank president be remanded in prison pending the fulfilment of his bail condition.
Abiodun meets Obasanjo, appeals for calm over hardship of subsidy removal
However, the DSS insisted on taking him away against the judge’s orders.
In response to the development, the lawyers said the DSS action was unprofessional and shameful, questioning how such a thing could happen in a democracy.
It’s a big shame and insult, that the judiciary arm of government was disrespected by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) who fought officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) over who would take custody of suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin.”
Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of the N20 million. The Judge ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the correctional center pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions. Shortly after the ruling, DSS operatives strategically positioned their Hilux Pick Up van used in bring Emefiele to court, in a manner suggesting that they wanted to abduct him to their detention centre.
According to reports, this prompted Emefiele’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and other lawyers to raise an alarm about their client’s planned re-arrest by the secret police. After the court ruling, the suspended CBN governor holed up inside the courtroom with his lawyers. However, when the prison officials moved to take Emefiele into custody pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions, the secret police challenged them and it led to a fight.
Over the months the DSS has been on rampage, first they disregarded court rulings barring them from arresting Emefiele. Again they disregarded court ruling ordering them to release him. Now they are disregarding court ruling ordering his release. At this point the secret police had proven to be a rogue agency with no regard for the rule of law. How can an agency of the government violate bail order? Not once , not twice!!! We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to save democracy and image of the judiciary by immediately ordering the arrest of DSS DG for the rogue behaviour of his operatives. This cannot be allowed to continue. Also the DSS can’t rearrest Emefiele until he perfects his bail and released.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has asked the Federal Government to ensure that the Department of State Services (DSS) abides by court orders.
Falana made this plea in light of a dispute on Tuesday between the DSS and the Nigerian Correctional Service regarding the custody of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele who is currently facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Recalls that the disagreement arose after Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos granted Emefiele bail for a sum of N20m, leading to a clash between the two governmental services.
In a statement addressing this incident, Falana said, “The Federal Government should also ensure that the orders of the Federal High Court are obeyed forthwith.
“Notwithstanding the avowed commitment of the Bola Tinubu administration to operate under the rule of law, a team of State Security Service officials brazenly disobeyed the orders of the Federal High Court, which admitted Mr Godwin Emefiele to bail in respect of the offence of illegal possession of firearms.
“For daring to comply with the orders of the Federal High Court, officials of the Correctional Centre were attacked by gun-totting officers of the SSS.”
He emphasized the need for adherence to the rule of law.
Falana further stated that the security officers involved in the attack on the Correctional Centre officials should be identified and penalized.
He warned all public officers to learn from Emefiele’s predicament, highlighting Emefiele’s previous disregard for court orders.
Emefiele under the administration of ex-president, Muhammadu Buhari had disobeyed the ruling of the Supreme Court on the cash policy.
Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Tuesday said people are wrongfully dissipating their energy on the music video posted by singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, on his social media page.
Soyinka said those castigating and vilifying Davido over the video are making a mountain out of a molehill as they are other important issues they need to address.
The video, captioned ‘Jaiye Lo,’ which was released by Logos Olori, an artiste under Davido, showed some people dressed in white jalabiyas like Muslims, praying the way Muslims do before launching into dancing as they recited some Quranic verses and prayed.
Mats were spread for those praying behind an ‘Imam’ who used the popular single-prayer rug (sajadah). Those who were praying also read out what looked like Muslim recitations in Arabic language and prostrated the way Muslims do in prayer.
In the video, Logos Olori was seen sitting on the roof of a mosque-like building mounted with a horn public address system, thus, creating the complete impression of a mosque scenario.
Muslims faithful have attacked Davido for displaying such video on his Twitter handle and threatened action.
But Soyinka, in a statement on Tuesday said he had not seen the Davido clip and would greatly appreciate if someone would make it available so they all could debate, objectively, the merits and demerits of positions taken over this recent product of the musician.
There are, however, certain principles, histories, rights and responsibilities of artistic creativity that should not be smothered under emotional manipulation.
The Nobel laureate stated: “The following should not be needed, but we appear to inhabit a nation space where memory deficiency has become an accreditation badge of competence in national affairs. I recall my intervention, several years ago, in an attempt to pillory former Governor of Kaduna State, El Rufai over some comment he had made that was considered derogatory to followers of Christianity.
“I forget the reference now but I do distinctly recall another of a bank manager who, at Easter tide, referred to the risen Christ as a metaphor for the risen dough in the bakeries of Oshodi. Something along those lines. Under obvious pressure, he apologized, and I rebuked him for the gesture.
“There was nothing to apologize about, and that applied equally to El Rufai’s comments at the time. It should come as no surprise that I equally absolutely disagree with Shehu Sani if indeed, as reported, he has demanded an apology from Davido on behalf of the Moslem community.
“No apology is required, None should be offered. Let us stop battening down our heads in the mush of contrived contrition – we know where contrition, apology and restitution remain clamorous in the cause of closure and above all – justice. Such apologies have not been forthcoming. In their place, we have the ascendancy of petulant censorship in the dance and music department. Just where will it end?”
Soyinka added that most forms of worship – from the Hare Krishna to Hinduism and lesser-known religions – sought transcendental experience through the medium of dance.
“It goes beyond mere elation or euphoria and involves surrender of the ego to the mystical and sublime – through dance. The secularization of that medium stretches across religions, and offers the artistes’ a means of invoking a sense of spiritual community, through a common act of self-surrender.
“As already admitted, I have not seen the clip, but I insist on the right of the artiste to deploy dance in a religious setting as a fundamental given. Such deployment is universal heritage, most especially applicable in the case of Islam where a plot of land, even without the physical structure, can be turned, in the twinkling of an eye, into a sacral space for believers to gather and worship in between mundane pursuits,” he said.
According to Soyinka, dancing in front of a mosque could not therefore, on its own, be read as an act of provocation or offence but as affirmation of the unified sensibility of the spiritual in human.
“Let us learn to read it that way. Those who persist in taking offence to bed and serving it up as breakfast should exercise their right of boycotting Davido’s products – no one quarrels with that right. However, it is not a cause for negative and incitive excitation.
“The greater responsibility is to face squarely the root issues of religion in the nation. That root issue is starkly stated thus: the sectarian appropriation of the power of life and death across a community of believers, other believers, and even non-believers alike, be it for real, imagined, or deliberately contrived offence.
“It was not Davido’s music that lynched Deborah Yakubu, and continues to frustrate the cause of justice. Nor has it contributed to the arbitrary detention of religious dissenters – call them atheists or whatever – such as Mubarak Bala, now languishing in prison for his 38th month. These are the provocations where every citizen should exercise the capacity for revulsion.
“They are the issues deserving of, indeed exercise primary claim on a nation’s capacity for righteous indignation. All else is secondary. Distractive piffle,” he stated
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has ordered banks to lift a ‘post-no-debit’ restriction that had been placed on the bank accounts of 440 individuals and companies.
This term indicates that all debit transactions, including ATM withdrawals and cheques, were blocked, although deposits could still be made.
The instruction, issued on Tuesday, was signed by A.M. Barau on behalf of the CBN director of banking supervision.
Banks have been told to inform the affected customers about this update. The CBN didn’t disclose why they took this action.
Companies that were included on this list are Bamboo Systems Technology Limited, Escale Oil & Gas Limited, Rise Vest Technologies Limited, Chaka Technologies Limited, abokiFX Limited, Nairabet International, Northwood Energy Services and Proport Marine Limited, among others.
The circular stated, “You are hereby directed to vacate the Post-No-Debit restriction placed on the accounts of the under-listed bank customers at our instance. You are also required to inform the concerned customers of the vacation accordingly.”
Back in 2021, the CBN ordered banks to freeze the accounts of 18 companies which included bureaux de change, construction firms, investment companies, laundering services, and property companies.
The affected companies included Bakori Mega Services, Ashambrakh General Enterprise, Namuduka Ventures Limited, Crosslinks Capital and Investment Limited, IGP Global Synergy Limited, Davedan Mille Investment Limited and Urban Laundry.
Others were Advanced Multi-Links Services Limited, Spray Resources, Al-Ishaq Global Resources Limited, Himark Intertrades, Charblecom Concept Limited, and Wudatage Global Resources.
Treynor Soft Ventures, Fyrstrym Global Concepts Limited, Samarize Global Nigeria Limited, and Zahraddeen Haruna Shahru were also included.
All 18 companies have since had their bank accounts unfrozen by the apex bank.
These are not the best of times for former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, as a UK judge has ordered his defence lawyer and accomplice, Bhadresh Gohil, to return £28 million to law enforcers or serve another prison term of 6 years.
The London solicitor, reportedly has a massive £3.25 million home in Sydney Street in Chelsea, UK, and was accused by law enforcers of playing a big role in a huge scam perpetrated by Ibori, which landed the once powerful Nigerian politician in UK jail.
Ibori was extradited from his hiding place in Dubai, the UAE, and sentenced to 13 years in jail in 2012 alongside his wife and sister who served different jail terms.
He was in the past week ordered to surrender over £100 million to law enforcers or serve another 10 years in jail.
After his freedom, he left the UK to Nigeria where he has been trying to relaunch his political career that has seen his daughter and some of his political supporters contesting for elective positions.
His anointed candidate and former chief of staff, David Edevbie, lost the PDP governorship ticket in Delta.
He joined former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to receive then president-elect Bola Tinubu in Rivers State in May and has also been received at the presidential villa, Nigeria’s seat of power.
Ibori claimed the latest court episode was deliberate and vowed to appeal but did not deny the offences he was convicted of. He’s contesting the amount he’s expected to pay back.
He refused to attend the hearing which was concluded last week where the judge ordered he refunds laundered public funds.
Gohil, who reports said grew up to become a strong Ibori associate, is an Indian and had served 10 years for his criminal dealings in Ibori’s case.
The solicitor who was described as being “poor” before meeting Ibori, whom he defended until both landed in jail is reportedly an owner of another palatial empire in Mumbai, India and another property close to the India city, as well as other assets worth millions of pounds, all considered proceeds of crime from Nigeria.
He has millions in investments in India and was a regular visitor to Ibori’s mansion in Hampstead, the UK, court told.
But Gohil would now surrender the ill-gotten wealth or face fresh prison term after a judge at Southwark Crown Court delivered a confiscation order that he surrenders a whopping £28.19 million.
The latest ruling has been hailed across the UK especially by anti-corruption campaigners who have moved against organised crime, Evening Standard has reported.
It “sends a powerful message that those who conspire with corrupt political elites will be held to account” after “the extraordinary lengths to which Gohil has gone to keep hold of his ill-gotten gains,” Dr Helen Taylor, from Spotlight on Corruption, told journalists.
“This confiscation order is a significant milestone in these marathon legal proceedings to recover the vast sums of public money that were stolen from the Nigerian people,” she added.
THE WHISTLER findings showed that the Crown Prosecution Service and the National Crime Agency have so far secured a £101 million confiscation order against Ibori and his accomplice.
Also the court secured a £2.8 million confiscation order against his ally Udoamaka Onuigbo.
Gohil, convicted in 2010 of money laundering, was accused of concealing ill-gotten money from Ibori in “a myriad of offshore companies and bank accounts as well as UK-based entities.”
Ibori who once contested his name as Jame Ibori and not James Onanefe Ibori, which he said was the name of his twin brother was found wanting by the crown court for making £118 million, public funds, which he financed “a high-living lifestyle,” with Gohil making £42 million from Ibori.
Suzanne Foster, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s proceeds of crime division, said the millions of pounds obtained through the confiscation orders would eventually be sent back to Nigeria to be invested in public services there, it was reported.
“This very significant amount of money was confiscated following an extensive investigation. Ibori was powerful and influential, but he was not above the law. Now the life he built from criminal enterprises has been taken from him,” Foster said, hailing the court ruling.
“This confiscation order demonstrates our determination to pursue criminally obtained assets that have been invested in the UK.
“Our work to repatriate these sums shows that we do not stop at the point of conviction, and the NCA will do everything we can to strip criminals of their assets.
“We will continue to work with partners to tackle the global threat of money laundering, and target anyone that undermines the integrity of our financial system,” Foster added.
Medical doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike.
Naija News reports that the doctors declared the strike on Tuesday night during the National Executive Council meeting in Lagos.
The President of the association, Dr. Orji Emeka Innocent, said the strike will commence at midnight on Tuesday.
This platform reports that the strike comes after a two-week ultimatum was given to the Federal Government by NARD for its demands to be implemented.
In a communique issued after its
virtual extraordinary national executive council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday, the doctors said despite giving a two-week ultimatum, the government was slow to respond to their demand.
The communique said, “The resolutions of the conciliatory meeting chaired by the then Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment were yet to be implemented, seven weeks after, despite the set timelines for their implementation.”
The NARD president noted that the significant demands of the association are: immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement, payment of skipping arrears, and upward review of CONMESS in line with complete salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS.
Others are payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum to the omitted doctors, reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN ), payment of MRTF, new hazard allowance, skipping and implementation of corrected CONMESS in State Tertiary Health Institutions and payment of omitted hazard allowance arrears.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, in an attempt to stop the strike, held deliberations with the leadership of NARD behind closed doors on Monday.
Abbas promised to meet with President Bola Tinubu to avert the industrial action of the resident doctors and announced the setup of an ad hoc committee to meet with all the stakeholders and address the matter.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has said that it is gradually withdrawing old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes from circulation.
The Acting CBN governor Folashodun Shonubi made the disclosure on Tuesday at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting.
Ha also clarified that there are no plans to withdraw the new notes as being speculated by some people.
Shonubi said, “When a currency is printed and sent out, it is expected that it will go through a long cycle and over time will become worn and then will be replaced. That is what we are doing. We had to put out or re-put out old notes and as they are coming in, they were being processed and returned to us as not issuable. We are then bringing out and replacing them with the new notes.
“We believe that we have an optimal level of the currency out there. So, more of what is being done is a replacement to keep the level rather than just putting money out there and that is seen by the fact that the banks whenever they come to us for notes, we provide it to them. If it wasn’t enough, they will be asking us for much more. If it was too much, they will be dumping them much more on us.”
Former President Muhammadu Buhari launched new naira banknotes on November 23 which were expected to be withdrawn on January 31 2023.
After dramatic extensions, the currency was permitted to circulate till December.
“Slowly and over time, you will see how the old notes are replaced out of the system with the new notes that will be the norm. And that will be out of practice and not just fanfare. You will just see it slowly move from old to new notes,” the acting CBN Boss said.
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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has reiterated that there is no plan to increase telecom tariff due to subsidy removal.
Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, the executive vice chairman, (EVC), NCC, gave the assurance at the weekend while receiving Titans of Tech(ToT) award in Lagos.
Danbatta said: “NCC has said that it is not ready to increase telecom tariff for now due to subsidy removal. Such decision is left for the entire industry to determine. We do a lot of industry consultation.
“That is left for the entire industry to determine. We run a participative system of engagement in NCC. We can’t even talk about increase now. There has to be a lot of engagements with stakeholders.”
The EVC, who was represented at the event by the Lagos Zonal controller of NCC, Mr Yomi Arowosafe, received the Pan African Telecoms Operator of the year on his behalf, while the director of Public Affairs, of the commission, Mr Reuben Muoka clinched Digital Public Relations Communicator of the year Award.
Arowosafe, while receiving the award on behalf of Danbatta said: “I am elated that this has happened and this has shown that the industry is really doing well under the leadership of EVC. We thank Titans of Tech award for counting the EVC and NCC worthy of these awards.”
Meanwhile, earlier in his welcome address, former governor of Lagos, Mr Femi Pedro, while giving his opening remarks, called for pro
motion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the country right from primary to tertiary institutions
“We must begin to encourage our entrepreneurs and young people to be innovative and creative and I believe that the fastest way to create wealth today is through the use of technology. Many young people who have left school and are complaining that there are no jobs, can leverage on technology to create wealth.
READ ALSO: Global Insurance Premium Hits $5trn In 2017
“There is no need for any body to be unemployed in today’s world. It is lack of knowledge that is killing most of us, particularly our young people. Technology is there as a tool, as an enabler for youths to make a living. All you need to do is think creatively,” Pedro advised.
[DailyIndependent]
In October 2020, Nigeria witnessed one of the largest youth-led protests in its history, known as the #EndSARS movement.
Sparked by years of frustration and anger over police brutality, particularly perpetrated by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), young Nigerians took to the streets demanding an end to police harassment, extrajudicial killings, and the complete disbandment of the notorious unit.
What began as peaceful protests quickly gained momentum and spread to different cities across Nigeria and even garnered international attention and support.
The protesters, consisting mainly of young Nigerians, chanted slogans such as “EndSARS,” “SARSMustEnd,” and “Enough is Enough,” as they marched on the streets with banners and placards, demanding immediate action from the government.
However, the events of October 20, 2020, marked a turning point in the #EndSARS movement.
On that fateful day, a group of peaceful protesters had gathered at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos, which had become a symbolic centre for the demonstrations.
As night fell, security forces reportedly opened fire on the protesters, leading to several fatalities and injuries. The incident, now widely referred to as the “Lekki Massacre,” sent shockwaves through Nigeria and the world, drawing international condemnation.
In the aftermath of the tragic events, the Nigerian government announced the disbandment of SARS, a move that was met with scepticism by protesters who demanded broader police reforms and accountability for the alleged abuses committed by SARS officers.
Fast forward to the present, and the wounds inflicted during those tumultuous days are far from healed. The recent announcement by the Lagos State Government regarding a mass burial for the 103 casualties of the #EndSARS protests has reignited the pain and memories of the tragic events of 2020.
While the government has clarified that these casualties are not victims of the Lekki toll gate shooting, it serves as a sombre reminder of the heavy toll the protests took on human lives and the urgency of addressing the issues that spurred the movement in the first place.
The Background
Numerous reports of unlawful arrests, extortion, torture, and extrajudicial killings by SARS officers had flooded social media, capturing the attention of the Nigerian public. These incidents, often accompanied by viral videos and graphic images, sparked outrage among the tech-savvy youth who felt the urgent need to address the issue.
It was on those premises that thousands of Nigerians nationwide took to the streets to protest police brutality in October 2020. They demanded far-reaching reforms, particularly concerning the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, of the police.
The weeks-long protest attracted international attention, culminating in the controversial shooting of protesters at the popular Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, one of the rallying points for those who partook in the demonstrations.
The origin of SARS could be traced to the early 1990s when the Nigerian government established the Special Anti-Robbery Squad with the primary aim of combating violent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking.
Initially, SARS successfully reduced violent crime cases, but the unit was alleged to have “turned into banditry”.
Over the years, SARS morphed into a feared and ruthless unit, widely accused of gross human rights violations and abuses of power.
Initially, it successfully reduced violent crime cases, but the unit was alleged to have “turned into a cash cow and agent of human rights abuse”.
In June 2020, Amnesty International released a report documenting at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial execution by SARS between January 2017 and May 2020.
Amid the protest, the then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, announced the disbandment of the Squad in the country.
Judicial Panel of Inquiry
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS-related Abuses and Other Matters submitted its report on November 15, 2021, after which Sanwo-Olu set up a White Paper committee.
The Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel, in a 309-page report titled, ‘Report of Lekki Incident Investigation Of October 20 2020’, concluded that there were “killings” at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.
The panel also claimed that at least 48 protesters were either killed, injured, or assaulted by soldiers and police.
However, the State Government’s White Paper on the report by the EndSARS panel faulted the panel’s report that nine persons were killed at the toll gate.
In the White Paper, the government described the panel’s claim that nine persons were shot dead as “assumptions and speculations”.
Burial of 103 Victims
Three years later, the leaked memo on the proposed burial of some victims has re-opened the wounds of the EndSARS.
The leaked memo addressed to the Lagos State Ministry of Health claimed that the State Government had approved N61,285,000 for the mass burial of 103 persons identified as 2020 EndSARS victims.
DAILY POST reports that the document, which went viral online, surfaced almost three years after the government had denied brutal killing of unarmed protesters waving the Nigerian flag and chanting the national anthem when the military allegedly opened fire on them at the Lekki toll gate.
The five-paragraph leaked memo sighted by DAILY POST captured steps for the processing of funds after approval by the Governor in addition to the Ministerial Tenders’ Board Meeting over the recommendations of the Procurement Planning Committee.
Reacting to the development, a former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, claimed the spirits of the murdered EndSARS protesters and the members of the Islamic Movement in 2015 would continue to hunt the nation and hang over its skies until justice is done.
In a statement via his verified Twitter handle on Monday, Sani claimed that killing 103 EndSARS protesters in Lagos was one of the hidden atrocities of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s era.
Also, a former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, in her reaction, demanded an urgent response from the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
In a series of tweets on Sunday via her verified Twitter handle, the former Minister questioned if the Governor knew the State had a record of 103 dead bodies from the EndSARS shootings.
Ezekwesili further claimed that the nation’s public leaders have reduced the dignity of human life to zero, describing it as the wickedest thing they have done to the citizens.
Mischief makers at work
However, in its response, the Lagos State Government maintained that the victims to be buried were not from the Lekki Tollgate shooting, insisting that the details were misconstrued.
According to a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, the victims were from incidents of violence that occurred in the aftermath of the EndSARS protests.
Ogboye said the Lagos State Environmental Health Unit (SEHMU) picked up bodies after #EndSARS violence and community clashes.
He cited areas of Lagos State where dead bodies were picked to include Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Isolo, Ajah, Orile, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, adding that there was also a jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison.
“It is public knowledge that the year 2020 #EndSARS crisis that snowballed into violence in many parts of Lagos recorded casualties in different areas of the State and NOT from the Lekki Toll Gate as being inferred in the mischievous publications.
“The 103 casualties mentioned in the document were from these incidents and NOT from Lekki Tollgate as being alleged. For the avoidance of doubt, nobody was retrieved from the Lekki Toll Gate incident,” part of the statement read.
Reactions
DAILY POST spoke to Anngu Orngu, Co-convener of the Free Nigeria Movement.
Orngu lamented that nobody had been prosecuted or arrested for what happened at the Lekki tollgate even though a commission of inquiry was set up to probe the incident.
He expressed sadness over the allegation that the army was unleashed on Nigerians who were genuinely calling on the government to reform the police.
Orngu also called on young and vibrant Nigerians to get involved in the political process.
He said, “It is quite unfortunate that October 20 happened, and we are here again today after so much denial, even when a commission of inquiry was set up. I don’t know what they have done with the findings of that commission.
“Nobody has been prosecuted or arrested for what happened at the Lekki tollgate that fateful night. It is unfortunate.
“At this point, I am even dumbfounded to speak on the issues that relate to our dear country. But it shows that Lekki actually happened, and someone should be held responsible for what happened on that day.
“Over a hundred and five people, or thereabouts, are to be buried, and nobody has taken responsibility for it, or nobody has been arrested? Somebody should be facing prosecution for what happened.
“But here we are as a country. Is it that Nigeria is becoming a rogue country? Is it that there are no laws? Where is our humanity? Have we all lost it? What are we telling the next generation? Because these are armless Nigerians crying out for the rights of others against police brutality.
“And not that these Nigerians were only out there for themselves; they were also calling on the Nigerian government to improve police service and the welfare of police officers. And maybe because of economic gains, you unleashed the army on them.
“A lot of conspiracy theories came up that the protesters were sponsored to overthrow Buhari’s government and all of that. But these were people that did not even have a smoke gun with them. First, you unleashed street urchins on them. We saw some of the faces of these people, ‘agberos’, but those people were still moving freely on the streets of Nigeria and Lagos in particular.
“So, what is becoming of this country for me? I am dumbfounded; head or tail, you don’t even know where to start from. Is it the subsidy removal issue? Is it the tax issues? Where do you start from? Is it the skyrocketing price of foodstuff? Maybe at the end of the day, we will resort to God – the divinity to intervene in the case of our country.
“The youths are not helpless, but we are watching. My watchword has always been that we have to organise and don’t agonise. We are watching keenly; we are following the events of this country as they unravel. And at the appropriate time, some of us will come out to speak, to take action because our actions have always been to prick the conscience of people, to prick the conscience of our leaders that Nigerians deserve better. Our countrymen and women deserve better than they have given them.
“The way out, as I said, I believe in the power of God. We have seen several interventions in our country. We have seen Nigeria go through a very dire situation and more difficult times. As young men, we saw it happen; we saw at times nature takes its cause; death even takes place. So, there is hope. And hope is not a strategy; nobody should tell you that hope is a strategy.
“My call is for young Nigerians who really want to effect change, not those who are shouting and by the end of the day, when they get themselves into government, they behave and perform worse. We have some of our brother activists; as soon as they could get their hands on some deals and a few naira or dollars could line in their pockets or accounts, they stopped speaking for the people.
“I am using this opportunity to call on young, vibrant Nigerians to get involved in the process, go out there and contest elections. Kogi State is having an election, so also Imo and Bayelsa. Go out, put your foot out there and see how we can change this system.
”Nigeria is redeemable. Nobody should tell you that Nigeria is irredeemable. There is still hope for this country. There is still hope for Nigeria. There is still hope that we can build a nation that we would be proud of and that works for all.”
On his part, the President of the African Emancipation Movement for Good Governance, Honourable Lucky Obiyan told DAILY POST in an interview that the leaked document was living proof that a massacre was recorded during the EndSARS protest.
Obiyan believes that police brutality has worsened from what it was then to what is currently on the ground. According to him, police brutality still rages on in different forms.
He recalled some of the challenges he experienced during the protest.
He said, “It is not far-fetched. It is living proof that we actually had a massacre recorded during the EndSARS protest.
“The Lagos government was being hypocritical in their submissions to the Nigerian people. They never knew the letter was going to leak, and at the end of the day, it leaked and found its way to the public domain.
“And on that premise, today, we are talking about reality. This has gone a long way to attest that people actually died, and there was a massacre at the Lekki Tollgate; the government only tried to cover up.
“We are happy this is coming out, and we believe all those that have been vilified or hunted in one way or the other, the likes of DJ Switch, that had to relocate from her country, will all be vindicated, including CNN and the likes of other media organisations who the government under Lai Mohammed’s Information Ministry tried to debunk and assassinate their characters, I believe they will begin to bury their heads in shame at this point in time.
“The EndSARS represented better things for the police; you could see the government drew out a lot of programmes. Most of the demands by the protesters were acceded to, though some were to be long-term responses while others would be done summarily.
“Well, to be very frank, police brutality has exacerbated from what it was then to what is currently on the ground. The brutality still rages on in different formats, to the extent that you have policemen accompanying victims of their brutality and harassment to ATM stands and withdrawing money without their consent under duress. That has moved from bad to worse. And it is still happening today.
“You can see the hardship that has been meted on the Nigerian people as we speak. Is it the fuel hike, or the hike in the electricity tariff, despite the House of Representatives trying to suspend the electricity hike?
“But the people are already bearing the brunt. A lot of families go to bed hungry, waking up the next morning not knowing where the next meal will come from. Nigeria has never been subjected to the level of deprivation it has found itself.”
“We also had the challenge of the government sponsoring a counter-mob attack in order to give the protest a bad name. You know, when you want to hang a dog, you give it a bad name. They sponsored and infiltrated the ranks of the EndSARS protesters.
“And another thing drawn from that is the fact that there was no leadership, it was a faceless struggle. There is no agitation in the world where you don’t have a representative leadership to negotiate with the people at the top or hierarchy of the government; I think that was one of the mistakes that the organisers of the EndSARS deliberately made,” he added.
[DailyPost]
Condemnation has trailed the conduct of the Department of State Services at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday during the court appearance of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The DSS took Emefiele before the court for arraignment on Tuesday but rearrested and whisked him away despite that the court granted him bail and ordered that he should be remanded at the Ikoyi facility of the Nigerian Correctional Services.
The situation led to a clash between DSS operatives and prison officials.
Emefiele was arraigned on two counts of illegal firearms possession before Justice Nicholas Oweibo.
He was brought before the court in a white Hilux van accompanied by heavily-armed DSS operatives.
On arrival on the court premises on Tuesday morning, Emefiele, who wore a white jalamia and looked frail, was immediately whisked into the courtroom.
When the charges were read to him, Emefiele, however, pleaded not guilty.
The defence lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), who led four other senior advocates, moved an application for Emefiele’s bail.
But the DSS counsel, Mrs Nkiru Jones-Nebo, objected to the bail, saying she had not been served with a copy of the application.
However, Justice Oweibo, in a ruling granted Emefiele bail in the sum of N20m with one surety in like sum.
The judge, however, ordered that he should be remanded in the Ikoyi custodial facility of the Nigeria Correctional Services pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
The judge, subsequently, adjourned till November 14 for trial.
However, heavy drama ensued after the court proceedings, as DSS operatives laid siege outside the courtroom to re-arrest Emefiele.
The situation, which led to a face-off between DSS operatives and men of the Nigerian Correctional Services, saw Emefiele stuck in the courtroom long after the conclusion of court proceedings.
In the ensuing battle for control, the prison commander was ruffled and his uniform was torn, while he was being dragged towards the DSS van by DSS operatives who swarmed on him.
The situation angered Emefiele’s family members and lawyers, who accused the DSS of acting lawlessly and disrespecting the court.
A man who gave his name as George and introduced himself as Emefiele’s brother described the development as unfortunate in a democratic dispensation.
“Three courts have said release him on bail, he’s not running away for God’s sake. He has served this nation for nine years, where is he going to go to? All his life is in Nigeria here.
“You can imagine a situation where two military federal government apparatus are fighting themselves, manhandling the commander of the prison commission, it is a disgrace to this nation, it is a complete disgrace,” George said.
Condemning the development in an interview with The PUNCH, human rights lawyer, Ebun Olu-Adegoruwa (SAN), said, “I believe that the President is aware of the actions of the DSS; it is giving a bad image to this administration, where security agencies are engaging in a physical scuffle in open court to the extent of tearing their uniforms, which is a symbol of authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and desecrating the hallowed chambers of the court without respect for the judge.
“The videos I saw today was a total contempt of the authority of the judiciary because what we are saying is that once anybody is within the premises of the court, you have to respect the authority.”
Similarly, Prof Sam Erugo (SAN), said the refusal of the DSS to allow the correctional services to take Emefiele into their custody marked another embarrassing day for the Nigerian government.
He said, “It is very obvious that DSS is acting as if there is no rule of law in Nigeria. I think somebody has to tell them that they are going to the extreme.
“I think they should tell them that there is rule of law in Nigeria.”
Another lawyer, Okerechidum Nnamdi, said no institution of government should be above the law.
Nnamdi said, “They can’t be above the law because they are a creation of a piece of legislation; they can’t be above the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; as they must act in accordance with the law.”
The defendant’s lead counsel, Daudu, also decried the development.
“He has been brought to court and has been granted bail. You can see the vehicles of the DSS and that of the Correctional Service. I must tell you that because of the delay in perfecting the bail conditions, the officials of the Ikoyi Prison have legal obligations to take him to Ikoyi Prison.
“Ikoyi Prison is not far from the court and it’s a federal institution. Why they want him in their custody is what beats my imagination. But, what is more, devastating is the fact that the DSS came to court with two counts and the court, in its discretion, granted him bail, but you still want to arrest the person, because the court said to take him to the correctional centre.”
[Punch]
We can’t achieve national development without your efforts, Tinubu tells Nigerians in diaspora
AdminPresident Bola Tinubu has asked Nigerians in the diaspora to fully commit to the joint task of nation-building.
Tinubu, represented by Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff (CoS), spoke on Tuesday while marking the National Diaspora Day in Abuja.
The event, organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), was themed “Consolidating diaspora engagement for national development”.
The president assured Nigerians abroad that his administration will be friendly and provide an enabling platform for effective policies that would see the diaspora community galvanizing support for the country.
“Our country is on a new dawn to ensure national development, guarantee peace, and promote prosperity for all our nation’s people,” Tinubu said.
“The ambition we have in this regard cannot be fully realised without the support and enthusiastic participation of our brothers and sisters all over the world.
“As such, all deliberate efforts will be made in this administration to ensure that the diaspora community is pertinently involved in designing, implementing, and reviewing public policy.”
Tinubu added that it was gratifying to know that many citizens in the diaspora are uplifting the image of Nigeria in their host countries.
“In 2022, our diaspora home remittances through official channels stood at $21.9 billion, over four times the value of our foreign direct investment (FDI). The Nigerians in the diaspora are also actively investing in our healthcare, agriculture, education, information and communication technology (ICT), housing and real estate, sports, transportation, oil and gas, and other sectors,” he said.
“This, I must say is commendable and in our enlightened self-interest as only Nigerians both at home and abroad can develop Nigeria.”
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the NiDCOM chairperson, noted that many countries have evidence of accelerated national development courtesy of the contributions from their citizens in the diaspora.
“Such efforts made impacts on capacity and infrastructural developments when properly deployed. Diaspora resources often create positive measurable ripple effects that could mitigate unemployment, leading to the improvement in the quality of life and reduction in poverty,” Dabiri-Erewa said, adding that Nigeria cannot be an exception.
She asked the government to support and conclude the setting up of the Nigeria diaspora investment fund (NDIF) as an investment window and emergency resource for citizens living abroad.
[TheCable]