Ousted Gabon president speaks from detention, urges friends to ‘make noise’ over military coup
AdminThe ousted President of the Republic of Gabon, Ali Bongo, has called on friends and allies all over the world to “make some noise” over the military coup.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports a group of Gabonese military officers on Wednesday said they have overthrown Mr Bongo as the democratically elected president of the country.
The coupists who appeared in Gabon TV also nullified Mr Bongo’s victory in last Saturday’s presidential election.
But Mr Bongo, who appeared in the 50-second video, said he was speaking from detention in his residence.
“I’m just sending a message to all the friends we have all over the world. To make noise. The people here have arrested me and my family,” Mr Bongo appealed.
He lamented that the coupists had denied him access to his wife and son, saying, “I don’t know what’s happening”.
“I’m calling you to make noise, make noise really,” he added.
[DailyNigerian]
•Marketers halt petrol loading, blame vandals for disruption
•More filling stations shut as import hiccups hurt supply
Long queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, are beginning to resurface at filling stations in Lagos and Ogun states, and in few other locations in South-Western states.
Although The PUNCH gathered that queues were not seen in Abuja and other states in the North, it was learnt that depots in Lagos were gradually running dry of petrol.
Queues were sighted at many stations, particularly those on the Oshodi-Ojodu Berger Expressway and some sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as vehicles that waited to purchase petrol stretched into the expressway, slowing down movement on the service lane.
North-West filling station had the longest queue, as it dispensed petrol at N568/litre. Others such as Eterna – N568/litre; NNPCL – N568/litre; TotalEnergies – N570/litre; and Mobil – N570/litre had shorter queues.
Conoil, Enyo and Oando at Berger in Lagos, had no product to dispense.
While some of TotalEnergies stations were seen dispensing, a branch of the station located on the Berger axis was locked.
A few others such as Worldoil, Fatgbems and Quest in Ogun State shut their outlets.
The Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Satellite Depot, Akin Akinrinade, told The PUNCH that the depot had not loaded products in the last three weeks.
According to him, even the NNPCL Retail depot is currently operating skeletal dispatching of products.
“From our end, the issue has been with the pipeline vandalism which we raised an alarm over since July. Satellite depot has not loaded any product in the last three weeks, and whenever there is a problem here, it is going to affect Lagos and the whole of South-West.
“Although I don’t know what has been happening in other depots, from what we gathered yesterday, even NNPC Retail has been operating skeletal product dispatching. The NNPC Retail loaded just three to four trucks to Ikoyi on Monday. No product was dispatched to other places. I don’t know about other depots,” he said.
The NNPCL Retail has 21 depots across the country, nine in the North, and 12 in the South. However, The PUNCH had reported in December how the company abandoned the depots due to pipeline vandalism, and now relied on private depots to dispatch products.
Recently, NNPCL had been making efforts to put the pipelines in order. One of those efforts was the Satellite depots in Lagos which resumed operations last year, but was again vandalised in July.
Managers of the Ejigbo Satellite Depot had raised the alarm over incessant activities of pipeline vandals on System 2B pipeline in front of Good Luck Estate at Idimu, Alimosho Local Council Development Area of Lagos.
A statement released by Akinrinade at that time, said, “IPMAN Satellite Depot are constrained with heavy heart to announce the vandalism of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited pipeline at Idimu in Alimosho LCDA of Lagos State, in front of Good Luck Estate.
“This continuous vandalism is a setback to the effort of IPMAN and NNPCL to ensure uninterrupted supply of petrol to Lagos and the entire South-West region of Nigeria.”
The PUNCH also gathered that some depots owners had been unable to import products due to rising foreign exchange.
Sources close to the matter told The PUNCH that many filling stations had shut down operations as many could not afford to buy products due to high prices at the depots.
“Stations are now cutting down costs because most don’t have enough money to buy products to distribute to their outlets. That is why you see that those with more than one station had to close down some of them,” one of the sources told The PUNCH.
Another source who craved anonymity told The PUNCH that “the economy is tough right now and marketers have been unable to import products. Emadeb had teamed up with some other marketers and brought in about 27 million litres.
“But since then, who else did you hear has brought in the product? We are now back to the era of NNPCL being the sole importer, and would still continue to dictate what the market price would be.”
A top member of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria told one of our correspondents that demand now outweighs supply.
“NNPCL has reduced importation. And the whole idea was for private individuals to also augment what NNPCL brings in. But marketers are not importing. So NNPCL still remains the only importer,” he said.
When contacted to speak on the development, the spokesperson for NNPCL, Garba-Deen Muhammad, said he was speaking with an official of oil firm who had idea about the issue.
He promised to revert and our correspondent kept calling him for update, but got no response to the matter from the oil firm as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Muhammad had stated in June that the company would cut down its fuel imports programme in August once the Dangote Refinery began to push out refined petroleum products from late July or early August. NNPCL owns a 20 per cent stake in the Dangote Refinery.
“Because of the circumstances that surround our refineries, we cannot allow the country to be grounded. So we have to buy wherever we can get and sell. So if Dangote products are available, why should we not buy from Dangote?
“There is absolutely no reason. And that is the reason why we are interested in the Dangote Refinery. We are co-owners, shouldn’t we do business with our partners rather than do it with other people?”
Corroborating Muhammed, while speaking to journalists after a meeting with oil marketers in Abuja, also in June, the Chief Executive, Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, said NNPCL had cut down on importation.
Ahmed had said, “The market is open already, we have to follow the regulations. So we have rolled out policies that are user-friendly. Some of them (marketers) have already started putting their applications in place. This is because we don’t want to create a gap. NNPCL is slowing down on their importation.”
Since the end of fuel subsidy, the price of petrol had risen from an average of between N180/N200 per litre, to between N614 and N700 per litre. Although it was later debunked by the NNPCL, rumour had it that the price could go as high as N720 per litre due to the rising exchange rate and increase in the cost of crude at the international market.
The National Controller Operations, IPMAN, Mike Osatuyi, confirmed that oil marketers were not importing because of the price. He, however, said there was no cause for alarm.
“Marketers are not importing because of the price. But marketers can still pick it up from the NNPCL. We know NNPCL would intervene. So no cause for alarm,” he said.
Further checks by The PUNCH revealed many major outlets within Lagos metropolis did not dispense fuel to customers on Tuesday.
It was observed that between Berger and Iyanoworo stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, major outlets like Conoil (two outlets), Total (two outlets), African Petroleum, Oando and Enyo did not dispense fuel to customers.
At Mobil Filling station located adjacent to the Lagos State Secretariat (in-bound Alausa), there was a sizeable queue of motorists waiting in line to buy petrol while other customers lined up with jerry cans and jostled in a bid to get ahead in the queue.
The development sparked fears among motorists who expressed concern that Tuesday’s turn of events could be a prelude to an increase in the pump price of petrol.
A cab driver, Babatunde Onifade, who plies between Berger-Victoria Island, told one of our correspondents that the sudden closure of many filling stations along the axis had triggered panic among commercial transport operators who had a hard time buying fuel on Tuesday.
Some filling stations along Idimi-Egbeda axis were also visited on Tuesday, and it was observed that an outlet belonging to the NNPCL along the axis was not selling.
It was also observed that there was queue at an Oando fuel station on the axis.
A motorist who gave his name as Harry Ugochukwu, said, “NNPC here is not selling and they sold on Sunday. It is only the Oando outlet here that is selling at the normal price and as you can see there is queue here.”
At Dopemu, inward Agege, it was observed that a NIPCO outlet was selling with little or no queue.
Commenting on the development in the South-West, the President, Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said though the queues had yet to get to the South-South, North and other regions, the drop in imports might warrant a spread in queues.
“People cannot import because there is NP forex to do that, and this is not good for a liberalised market. That is why we’ve continued to advocate for the rehabilitation of refineries in good time to avoid a spread of such queues to other regions of the country,” he stated.
One of the founding fathers and chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Buba Galadima has described the suspension of the party’s national leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso as a “Nollywood and Hollywood joke”.
Recalls that a faction of the party on Tuesday suspended Kwankwaso, alongside other members over alleged “anti-party activities in various meetings”.
The group claimed that there was “material evidence” showing that the party’s flagbearer for the February 25, presidential poll has been involved in anti-party activities.
But Galadima, who spoke during a program on Channels TV on Tuesday night, said the leaders of the group which announced Kwankwaso’s suspension had earlier been expelled from the NNPP.
Galadima also insisted that the party is still intact and has no crisis as being peddled.
He said, “When I saw it on social media, I thought it was like a Nollywood or Hollywood joke.
“Now let me make a small correction, those that were expelled were Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam and Gabriel Agbor Major.
“All of them who were expelled were called to a disciplinary committee. They were drilled and they accepted their sins and it was on the basis of their acceptance that they were recommended to the Nation Working Committee for expulsion.”
Speaking on the alleged anti-party activities, Galadima explained that “as a politician, we can meet with anybody. He took permission from us.”
A newborn has been rescued from a pit toilet in Otuocha, Anambra East Local Government Area of the State three days after birth.
According to a report posted on the Facebook page of Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, the incident happened on Sunday.
The mother of the male child, Nwaedoka Chidinma, a 20-year-old girl from Izzi, Ebonyi State, was said to have deliberately carried out the act.
Esther Omesi, a farmer and friend to Chidinma, alerted relevant authorities about the incident.
Omesi said she was staying at Chidinma’s place at the time it happened.
According to her, Chidinma started acting suspiciously on Sunday after she had notified her (Omesi) that she was having stomach upset and then went to the pit to ease herself.
She narrated that Chidimma took time and when she came out, there was dripping of blood which made her call a nurse that inspected her and revealed that the baby was gone.
Omesi said that she thought that Chidinma had a stillbirth, which is why she encouraged her to travel home to her parents and notify them of the development.
Revealing further on how it happened, Omesi said that they heard a baby’s cry on Tuesday morning and quickly used a ladder to rescue the newborn.
Reacting to the incident, the Honourable Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, was shocked when both the mother and child were brought to her office.
Turning to Chidinma, she said: “Why would you, after you have passed through pregnancy, given birth and decided to put the baby in the toilet? Why? Since Sunday? Why are you this wicked?”
The commissioner quickly directed that the newborn should be taken to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Amaku, in Awka for treatment and later called for the arrest of the culprit.
Obinabo decried the rate at which young girls now commit crime and stated that the young mother won’t go unpunished.
She further noted that the Governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo has zero tolerance for such inhumane and dastardly acts and assured of seeing to the end of the case.
The erstwhile Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has disclosed that he deliberately did not support his party’s candidate in the 2022 Osun State governorship election to avoid confusing voters in the state.
Aregbesola, a two-time governor of Osun, spoke during a radio programme on Tuesday in Ilesha.
According to him, politics of bitterness and boastful exclusion of him and his supporters by the then ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state prevented them from supporting the re-election bid of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
“There is nothing like exclusivity when it comes to politics or elections. All interests matter and are important. When I wanted to run for a second term as governor in 2014, I ensured that even the bigwigs of the opposition party joined us.
“I rallied everybody because we knew how important it was to have a strong and formidable party going into the elections. That was why we were able to achieve success.
“But in a situation when some individuals decide to exclude some people, ostracise them and want to even throw them out of the party, that (defeat) is what you would get. I have no power or control over the decision of where anyone wishes to vote or support in a political contest.
“Politicians or party men and women constitute only 10% of the electorate. The success of any election rests on the level of how people are able to embrace others, irrespective of their convictions or personal aggrandisement to others.”
He added, “They (Oyetola and others) never wanted us, and our existence gave them a constant headache. There was even a video that trended at the time when they said anyone who was not invited to their campaign and comes around would bear the consequences of whatever happens to him/her.
“They did not want me. That was why I stayed away. In order not to create confusion as to who I was supporting or supported in the governorship election, I had to stay away.”
Oyetola, who lost the election and failed to get redress both at the tribunal and Supreme Court, was recently appointed as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy by President Bola Tinubu.
The Debt Management Office (DMO) sold T.bills valued at N406.10 billion across its auctions in July 2023.
This was contained in the FMDQ Markets Monthly Report for July seen by Nairametrics.
The amount represents 0.39% (N1.59 billion) Month-on-month (MoM). An increase in the value of T-bills sold across its auctions in June 2023 (N404.51 billion).
Similarly, the DMO reopened two (2) 10Y, one (1) 15Y and one (1) 30Y FGN Bonds worth N657.84 billion in July 2023.
The report noted that the total sale represented a 182.73% oversubscription of the amount offered, and a 39.03% (N184.68 billion) MoM increase on the amount sold in June 2023 (N473.16 billion) for the same FGN Bond maturities.
FMDQ noted that the CBN did not conduct any public OMO Bills auctions in July 2023.
Corporate bonds:
According to the report, there were no corporate bonds listed on the FMDQ Exchange in July 2023 compared to N17.50 billion worth of corporate bonds listed in June 2023.
- “As a result, the total outstanding value for corporate bonds remained unchanged at N1,757.95 billion in the review month,” it said.
Commercial Papers:
The report stated that the total value of Commercial Papers (CPs) quoted on the FMDQ Exchange in July 2023 was N117.32 billion, representing a MoM increase of 42.85% (N35.19 billion) from the value of CPs quoted in June 2023.
- “Quoted CPs were issued by institutions from various sectors including Financial Services (5), Manufacturing (4), Real Estate (3), Agriculture (2), Chemical Supply & Oil Field Services (2), Commodities Trading (1), Public Sector (1), Telecommunications (1) and Consumer Staples (1).
- As a result, the total outstanding value of CPs increased MoM by 14.10% (N117.32 billion) to N949.26 billion,” it said.
Secondary market turnover:
According to the report, secondary market turnover on the FMDQ Exchange in July 2023 was N19.92 trillion, representing a MoM decrease of 8.37% (1.82 trillion) and a YoY increase of 0.81% (N0.16 trillion) from June 2023 and July 2022 figures, respectively.
It noted that Foreign Exchange (FX), Money Market (MM), and CBN Bills transactions dominated secondary market activity, accounting for 73.98% of the total secondary market turnover in July 2023.
- “Total spot market turnover for all products traded in the secondary market was N18.47 trillion in July 2023, representing a MoM increase of 3.68% (N0.66 trillion) from June 2023 figures.
- The MoM increase in total spot market turnover was driven by an improvement in turnover across MM and FI transactions which increased MoM by 16.35% (N0.90 trillion) and 12.16% (N0.91 trillion), respectively, despite the MoM decline in FX transactions by 24.34% (N1.16 trillion).
- The uptick in MM turnover was driven by an increase in Repos/Buybacks, offsetting the MoM decline in Unsecured Placement/Takings transactions. Likewise, the improvement in FI turnover was driven by a MoM increase across all FI products, excluding CBN Special Bills and FGN Bonds which decreased in the review period,” the report noted.
According to the report, Spot FX market turnover was N3.61 trillion ($4.66 billion) in July 2023, representing a MoM decrease of 24.34% (N1.16 trillion) from the turnover recorded in June 2023 (N4.77 trillion).
- “In the FX Market, the US Dollar appreciated against the Naira, with the spot exchange rate ($/₦) increasing by 22.94% ($/N143.60) to close at an average of $/N769.51 in July 2023 from $/N625.90 recorded in June 2023.
- Further, exchange rate volatility decreased in July 2023 as the Naira traded within an exchange rate range of $/N740.08 – $/N803.90 compared to $/N464.67 – $/N770.38 recorded in June 2023,” the report said.
Fixed Income: The report stated that the (FI) market turnover was N8.43 trillion in July 2023, representing a MoM increase of 12.16% (N0.91 trillion) from the turnover recorded in June 2023 (N7.52 trillion).
- “The MoM increase in the FI market turnover was driven by the 52.55% (N0.94 trillion), 63.75% (N0.98 trillion), and 402.37% (N0.03 trillion) uptick in turnover across T.Bills, OMO Bills,
- Other Bonds which offset the MoM decrease in CBN Special Bills and FGN Bonds transactions by 57.36% (N1.00 trillion) and 1.24% (N0.03 trillion), respectively,” the report noted.
Some soldiers had appeared on Gabonese national television, announcing the cancellation of recent election results and the dissolution of “all the institutions of the republic”.
This followed the announcement on Wednesday of President Ali Bongo Ondimba as the winner of the presidential election. Bongo, as he’s popularly called, was re-elected for a third term.
The group of 12 officers made the announcement in which they said they had observed “irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos…
“We have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime.”
The soldiers have equally announced that, “The borders are closed until further notice.”
Calling themselves ‘Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions’, they have also said the country is “on the road to happiness.”,
Libreville, they added, will respect its commitments “to the national and international community.
“We call for calm and serenity from the public, the communities of sister countries settled in Gabon, and the Gabonese diaspora,” an officer has said on behalf of the committee on national television.
He added, “We reaffirm our commitment to respecting Gabon’s commitments to the national and international community.
“People of Gabon, we are finally on the road to happiness.”
The Gabonese Election Centre (CGE) had announced that Bongo won the disputed election with 64.27 per cent of the votes cast.
Michel Bonda, CGE head, further declared that Bongo’s main challenger, Albert Ossa, polled 30.77 per cent to finish second.
Bongo took over from his father, Omar in 2009. Omar died in power. The family has ruled the central African country for 53 years.
Although he suffered a stroke in 2018, with calls that he relinquish power, he has held on.
There was also a coup attempt in 2019. It failed and the soldiers were jailed.
No immediate reaction from the Gabonese government which declared curfew earlier.
The African Union has also not reacted.
The UN has also not reacted as Africa and global bodies continue to be occupied with the coup in Niger Republic.
But France, the country’s former colonial master has reacted. It’s Prime Minister Élisabeth Born has said France is following the situation in Gabon very closely, without providing further details.
The European Union has also reacted as its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said, “If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region.
“The whole area, starting with Central African Republic, then Mali, then Burkina Faso, now Niger, maybe Gabon, it’s in a very difficult situation and certainly the ministers… have to have a deep thought on what is going on there and how we can improve our policy in respect with these countries,” he said.
French mining group Eramet, which has large manganese operations in Gabon, has said, “From this morning all Comilog and Setrag operations have been halted and train transport suspended.”
No one has been announced to have been killed so far but loud sounds of gunfire could be heard in Gabon’s capital Libreville, following the coup.
So far there’s jubilation across some areas in Gabon with no resistance from the people as people wake to reality.
The Internet has been restored four days after the Bongo government cut it off. Television stations and all media outlets have been allowed to do their duties.
Eleven airline passengers and crew were hospitalized Tuesday following severe turbulence on a Delta flight from Milan to Atlanta, the US-based airline said.
“Delta Care Team members are mobilizing to connect with customers on Delta Flight 175 that experienced severe turbulence before landing safely in Atlanta Tuesday,” a spokesman said.
“Our priority is taking care of our customers and crew who sustained injuries.”
It is unclear how many total people out of the 151 passengers and 14-member crew were injured beyond the 11 taken to hospital, or what the extent of the injuries are for those hospitalized.
Major Hurricane Idalia is currently whipping up fierce winds off the US Gulf Coast and forecast to make landfall in Florida early Wednesday, and another storm, Hurricane Franklin, is swirling in the Atlantic. But neither Delta nor the US aviation regulator attributed Tuesday’s turbulence to the hurricanes.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which reported that the turbulence occurred some 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Atlanta airport, will investigate the incident, a spokesman told AFP.
Scientists have reported that so-called “clear-air turbulence” — which is hard to predict and happens without obviously bad weather, typically occurring above 15,000 feet — is becoming more frequent due to climate change.
[Channels TV]
The Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday, returned the sum of $26,000USD, about N23 million to one Christine Brown, a 70 year old British national, who was defrauded of by an Internet fraudster.
The 70-year-old had petitioned the Commission after being defrauded by an internet fraudster through a romance scam.
Narrating her ordeal, Brown said she became a victim after she met the fraudster online who posed as one John Barrowman, an entertainer and citizen of America.
According to her she never knew he was a fraudster especially when they became romantically involved.
She said her online lover began to demand money from her, which of course which she kept sending to him through wire transfers, Bitcoin and gift cards, until her she noticed he dubious character and alerted the EFCC through a petition.
The commission on the other hand moved into action and got her money back. The money was presented today by Kanu Idagu, the Zonal Commander of EFCC Benin.
While handing over the recovered fund, he said the Commission will continue to discharge its mandate to the betterment of the society.
“We are doing a whole lot in ensuring that victims of fraud are restituted where possible, and we will continue to do more,” he said.
He also admonished the public to be circumspect in whatever they do online as fraudsters prowl the internet seeking to defraud unsuspecting victims.
Brown however expressed gratitude to the Commission for its efforts which she said, has brought some succour to her after losing her life’s savings to the fraudster.
House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating alleged job racketeering and mismanagement of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System ( IPPIS) by Ministries, Department and Agencies ( MDAs) and institutions has summoned vice chancellors of all federal universities to appear before it over media report that that they bribed the panel.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, who gave the summon at the resumed sitting of the committee, yesterday, said the vice chancellors and the National University Commission (NUC) were expected to come along with evidence on the alleged bribery and extortion.
An online news portal had reported that the vice chancellors allegedly paid N2million each as bribe to the committee, after allegedly meeting with members of the investigative panel.
However, Gagdi, said he was not aware of members of the Ad-hoc Committee collecting money from MDAs or vice chancellors.
He maintained that if author of the report entitled “Nigerian lawmakers probing job racketeering are extorting money from agencies” or the vice chancellors have information of any member soliciting for bribe, they should focus on that member.
“Nigerians have hope in this Committee from.the way we are conducting the business of this Committee, everybody is seeing what we are doing. We will not compromise by hiding and aiding irregularities going on in the public service. No amount of statement accusing this Committee will deter us from doing our job.
“You may have your problem with a member of this Committee but don’t blackmail the entire Committee. I’m saying this because I am not being accused of doing anything, but you have issues that you want to make publication about a member of this Committee, sort it out with him, don’t put anything at the faces of members of this Committee.
“But in view of certain developments, I think the Clerk should summon the vice chancellors to appear through the National Universities Commission on Friday. We have to sit on Friday.
“Let the letter reach the Commission today, I want to personally sign the letter so that some of these things will be done in the character of the committee publicly for us to ask questions on what particularly the members of the Press will want to hear. Clerk make sure you do that.”
In another development, Ad-hoc Committee on non-remittance of contributions to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and Utilisation of the Fund from 2011 till date summoned the acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Mr. Folashidun Shonubi, to appear before it over alleged non-remittance of deduction from workers’ salaries for NHF.
Also summoned are the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein, as well as the four payment gateway engaged by the government for the National Housing Scheme (NHS), including Remita, e-Tranzact, Nigeria Interbank Payment System (NIPS) and GIF.
Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee , Dachung Bagos, said all those summoned were expected to provide details of the deductions and remittances made workers from 684 MDAs in respect of their national housing fund.
Bagos said the summon became necessary following the panel’s dis-satisfaction with the presentation made at the investigative hearing by the director of Intergrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Emma James Deko.
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An Ilorin Magistrate’s Court in Kwara State, on Tuesday, granted bail to two traditionalists, Abebi Efunsetan Yakubu a.k.a Olorisa and Obalowu Jimoh, after spending 29 days in a Correctional facility over alleged defamation of character.
Olorisa and Obalowu were remanded at Okekura Correctional Centre in Ilorin following a petition written by Prince Ademola Ajasa of Ademola Ajaka & Co law firm on behalf of his client, AlfaNla Okutagidi of No. 105 Pakata road, Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
The Police first information report (FIR) stated that the complainant, AlfaNla Okutagidi, claimed that he saw a video posted by Olorisa on the social media, claiming to have helped him (Okutagidi) years back in preparing spiritual sacrifice for his first wife before and after she gave birth to their child then.
“Investigation revealed that Iya Abebi (Olorisa) and Obalowu Jimoh criminally conspired together and defamed the character of Okutagidi in order to incite disturbance of public peace,” the FIR stated.
However, during the court proceedings on Tuesday, Magistrate Muhammed Adam, who presided over the matter, admitted the defendants to bail, saying they were entitled to freedom while the matter was adjourned to September 26, 2023.
Chicago State University (CSU) has been forced to lock its official X (Twitter) account following backlash from Nigerians over the non-release of President Bola Tinubu’s academic records.
The school also locked the comment sections of its LinkedIn and Facebook pages after Nigerians blasted and questioned how President Tinubu obtained a degree in the institution.
In response to the application submitted by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, at a US court in Illinois, the university last week gave conditions to grant access to President Tinubu’s credentials from the school.
Atiku and the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, are challenging the election and eligibility of Tinubu, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), before the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) in Abuja.
Earlier this month, Atiku sought approval at a United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago, demanding that Chicago State University (CSU) release all of Tinubu’s academic records over irregularities in the certificate he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This was prompted by his belief that these documents would help clarify significant inconsistencies in Tinubu’s background.
In response to Atiku’s application, CSU agreed to release Tinubu’s credentials once the court issues the order. In a statement dated August 23, issued by the university and signed by the university’s counsel, the university noted that once they get an order from the court, the academic records of Bola Tinubu will be released.
However, it also said: “The student records Abubakar seeks from the University via a documents subpoena (Doc.1-1) and the information Abubakar seeks the University to provide under a deposition subpoena (Doc. 1-2) concern Tinubu’s private educational records. But since Tinubu has intervened to oppose this discovery, the University defers to Tinubu on the privacy issues implicated by Abubakar’s Application.
“The University struggles to understand how – given that Tinubu did graduate from the University in 1979 – Tinubu’s grades and other student records from the 1970s and date and signatory information on subsequently issued ceremonial diplomas could have any bearing on a 2023 election challenge in a foreign country.”
The court then gave Tinubu until August 30 to answer why his academic credentials should not be released to Atiku and on August 23, in his response asked CSU not to release his academic credentials to the PDP candidate because, according to him, the case at the PEPT has closed and his credentials were not relevant to the suit.
Nigerians took to the social media pages of the school, accusing it of hiding information which is in the public interest of Nigerians, forcing the school to lock its pages.
Reacting to the school’s actions, Mindset wrote: “Chicago State University has locked its X account. We are getting there!” while Shehu Gazali Sadiq, who shared screen shot of blocked CSU blocked account, wrote: “Chicago state university don lock account because of Obidients. We no dey play.”
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, wrote: “If Nigerians decide to call you out, you’re certainly in trouble. Chicago State University has locked its X account,” while Sabina Nkiru said: “Why did Chicago State University suddenly lock their X Twitter account? What do they stand to gain? Why are they covering up for this man or woman and Ogbonnaya Okoro said: “Bobo Chicago has made the Chicago State University lock their Twitter account. I thought that university is a citadel of higher learning which dwells in both character and learning.Is it now for the highest bidder? What exactly are they hiding? What a world.”
Wednesday, August 23, 2023, will be remembered as a day the family of Rev. Meyau Jeremiah had their fair share of failure of the Nigerian Government to fulfill its constitutional responsibility of protecting the lives and property of all citizens irrespective of where they chose to live and transact their legitimate businesses.
The reverend’s gruesome murder was coming barely 24 hours after the Governor Uba Sani told residents through the immediate past Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs and Current Administrator of Kaduna City Territorial Authority, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, that his administration was committed to public safety.
Two weeks earlier, a woman was also killed in a similar manner at Ngwan Rana, Gonia Isa in the same Kujama after engaging some pastoralists, who had allegedly led their animals to eat and destroyed her farm. She was said to have been trailed and killed in her house without any arrest being made by the security agents saddled with the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.
The 61-year-old Meyau, who was the pastor in charge of Tawaliu Baptist Church, Ungwan Mission, Kujama in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, had on that fateful day gone to check his rice farm located at Nigerian Correctional Service Farms, about three kilometres away from his home when his attackers shot him twice in the head, killing him instantly.
When this correspondent visited the late pastor’s home a day after the incident, parishioners and neighbours were seen in mourning mood, with some putting their hands on their heads. Some of the sympathisers folded their hands across their chests and wearing long faces. The widow, whose eyes were swollen and reddish, was weeping profusely, as she was being comforted by a large crowd of women stooping all over her.
It was gathered from the mourners that the late cleric, who was of the Hausa tribe from Refawa in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano, had been pastoring the Kujama Baptist Church for 15 years. He had also been farming rice in the swarmpy portion of the land belonging to the Nigerian Correctional Service for as long as he picked up the responsibility of feeding the local Church with physical and spiritual meals.
According to a family source, Meyau had returned from another of his farm around 1:30pm that fateful day when his wife, who had painstakingly prepared his favourite meal, asked him to eat but he declined, with the intention to visit the second farm before returning home to devour the delicious meal which he never did – no thanks to the yet to be apprehended gunmen.
Narrating the unfortunate incident to Daily Sun within the Church premises, an elder and close associate of the deceased, Deacon Joshua Bitrus described him as “a very good man, gentle and free with all people around him.
“He was a forgiving person. We have stayed with him for 15 years in this church and we have never had any problem with him. Because of how good he was to us spiritually and otherwise, we are begging the family to allow us to bury him here in the church. This is someone we were planning for his retirement in 2025.
“We were shocked to the marrow when the news of his death was heard. I’ve not been able to eat for two days and even now I’m not feeling like eating because he is a very big loss to us. We have lost a companion, a very prayerful pastor, a loving and kind-hearted man of God.
“He came to see my aged mother in my house yesterday around 4pm without suspecting that would be his last time. My aged mother is lying in bed, sick and she has not been able to come to church in the past five years. Each time the late pastor came around, he would make my mother laugh which has been sustaining her. Up till now, I have never shared this sad news with her because I don’t know how she would receive the news.
“I returned home from my farm around 2pm on Wednesday, August 24. It was the prisons that gave him that swampy land where he has been farming rice since he came here to serve God in His vineyard.”
On how they got to know about the pastor’s killing since he went to the farm alone that day, he said: “Some women had returned from the farm and a few of them gathered behind the bathroom of one of my friends, gisting that a man was shot near our reverend’s farm.
“On hearing that, he was confused and that was how he ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the mission house to meet our pastor’s wife so she could put a call through to her husband’s mobile phone.
“They also called me and as soon as I came to the house, we rushed to the farm where we discovered his body. He was shot twice in the head. I saw that with my eyes. We picked the body and took him to St. Gerald Catholic Hospital in Kaduna, pending the time he would be taking to Bishara Baptist Church, Refawa, Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State for his final burial as planned by the family.
“This thing has been happening and we have been pleading with the government to come to our rescue but we are yet to see the end of it. As we are here, we have refugees who have been pursued from their houses by these people. They cannot go back to their homes. They cannot go to their farms either.
“Like I said, we have been calling on the government to assist us because we don’t want to acquire weapons to defend ourselves. These people will enter here, pick people and go without being challenged. As we speak, those who can afford rent have left us. They have relocated to Kaduna town.
“We are worried that security agents have not been able to help us because these people are not far. They are now occupying the houses of people they have pursued and we believe the government knows about it.
“Villages like Rafin Koriya and Buda are less than five kilometres from here while our reverend’s farm is about three kilometres. These are farming villages that produce food for the state. This is one of the reasons we are suffering food insecurity today because these people cannot go to their farms. Some of us are dying of starvation and cannot even pay rent.”
Sharing his last moment with his father with Daily Sun in Kujama, the oldest son of the deceased, Habila Jeremiah, described his late father as a lover of all and a good example of a responsible biological and spiritual father figure.
“The news of my dad’s death came to us as a rude shock. The last moment I had with him was around 1.30pm the day he was killed. I called him over something I wanted him to send to me in Kano because that’s where I am based. But, he could not answer. I then called my younger brother for the same purpose.
“But before my brother could call back, someone called around 2pm and asked me what was happening at Ungwan Mission, Kujama. Later, my brother called to inform me that some people had killed our Dad while he was checking one of his rice farms.
“Based on what those who overheard the conversation between my dad and his killers told me, he pleaded with them to even take him with them but they said no because they have been paid to come and kill him. People saw what happened and they brought the news.
“After shooting him in the head, they left him in his pool of blood and went away with his motorcycle, his bag, and his mobile phone which was why our mother could not reach him earlier.
“The government should act because this is getting out of hand. The government should not wait until people resort to self-help because that will be too bad for the country. We demand justice for our father to show if truly the government is committed to our safety.”
Meanwhile, police sources disclosed that there is manhunt for the perpetrators of the evil act.
A few days ago, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, alerted Nigerians of impending flooding along the River Benue Basin.
According to the alert, the Cameroonian Government has plans to “open the flood gates of the Lagdo Dam on the Benue River”.
Recall that a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was signed in 2016 between Nigeria and Cameroon regarding the release of water from the dam, in which Cameroon will always inform Nigeria before it opens the gates to the dam.
In a letter addressed to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cameroonian government warned of its intention to release water from the Lagdo dam and asked the agency to take precautionary measures.
After the notification, DAILY POST learnt the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also responded and served a notice on NEMA.
Over the years, the massive flooding in many states across the country was attributed to the release of water from the Lagdo Dam.
DAILY POST reports that the dam located along River Benue in the Republic of Cameroon has a history of over-flooding some Nigerian states along its navigation ways. These states include Benue, Adamawa, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Enugu, Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa.
However, in 2019, the dam was opened without prior notification, resulting in flooding in Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Kogi, and the Niger Delta regions during October and November of that year. There was also flood devastation in 2022, leading to the loss of lives and properties worth billions of naira.
NEMA had recently disclosed in its report that the 2022 flood disaster claimed no fewer than 665 lives, while 2,437,411 and 4,476,867 persons were displaced and affected, respectively.
The agency also announced, “As of August 9, data collated regarding 2023 flooding so far showed that 10 States have been affected, while 33,983 and 7,353 persons were affected and displaced, respectively.
“The breakdown also showed that 75 persons were injured while five deaths were recorded, including 1,679 damaged houses and 866 hectares of damaged farmlands.”
Reacting to the development, NEMA said the notice is not new, noting that it had since informed state governors of impending floods, including that from the Lagdo Dam.
The agency’s spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel said it was time for the affected state governors to take action and secure lives and properties in collaboration with NEMA.
Ezekiel assured Nigerians that NEMA was working with critical stakeholders, including federal, state and local governments to ensure that the release did not cause negative impacts, asking Nigerians not to fear the opening of the Lagdo Dam.
“Information available from the flow level of River Benue at Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) gauging station in Makurdi stood at 8.97 meters as of August 25, compared to 8.80 meters on the same date in 2022.
“In contrast, NIHSA has also provided that the flow level of the River Niger system, specifically at Niamey, Niger Republic, remains stable at a normal level of 4.30 meters.
“Similarly, inland dams, including Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro, reported consistent flow regimes.
“With regards to the hydrological station downstream, the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers in Lokoja, Kogi are currently within normal limits,” he said.
However, the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, has restated the state government’s preparedness to tackle any possible emergency from the impending flood.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed that the state government had provided LASEMA with 144 units of facilities that could accommodate 5,000 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the event of any emergency.
He noted that Lagos was well prepared, as LASEMA has changed from management to holistic emergency management.
“We have carried out risk analyses, resource mappings, and opened directories in each council to know the vulnerable people in emergencies. All these measures are geared towards ensuring swift, prompt, and effective responses,” he said.
In the same vein, the Delta State government has also expressed its preparedness.
It said it is taking proactive steps to mitigate the effect of flooding in the state, saying it will not hesitate to set up Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps in the event of severe flooding.
“We are already opening drainages and demolishing illegal structures blocking the waterways,” a government official said.
On his part, the president of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Tasiu Gidari-Wudil, also advised the government to construct flood control dams along the Rivers Niger and Benue to avert flooding that might occur from the opening of the Lagdo Dam.
Gidari-Wudil, in a press conference in Abuja on Monday, called for the dredging of major rivers to reduce siltation and sedimentation.
He lamented that the recommendations by the committees set up by the government after the 2012 and 2022 flood disasters had not been implemented.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Committee, set up by President Bola Tinubu, says it will implement various policies and rescue missions to mitigate the flood’s impacts from Lagdo Dam.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, who spoke at a briefing in Abuja at the instance of the committee, urged the Governors’ Forum to step up actions by ensuring the immediate evacuation of Nigerians from flood-prone communities to safer destinations.
She stated that the President had directed that all relevant ministries meet to find a solution to the flooding issue.
Speaking to DAILY POST in an interview, an environmental remediation expert, Dr Moses Paul stated that relevant stakeholders should prioritise the safety and well-being of the affected population to mitigate the damage that the flood may cause.
Paul, also the Convener of Free Nigeria Movement/YELL OUT Nigeria, believes that the President and state governors should collaborate with relevant stakeholders and allocate resources effectively to manage the situation to prevent further harm.
According to him, the government should also improve early warning systems for floods, which he said could involve the installation of weather monitoring stations, flood forecasting models, and communication networks to provide timely alerts to vulnerable communities.
The environmental expert also urged relevant stakeholders to ensure that psychosocial support services, including mental health support and counselling services, would be available for those affected by the flood.
“The number one priority of government and leadership anywhere in the world is the focus in ensuring a rapid and effective response, particularly anything that will bring to safety the life and property first and foremost of her citizens.
“Therefore, the major concerns and advice for the Nigerian President and state governors in such a scenario as we face today would include establishing effective communication channels, such as mobile alerts or community networks, to disseminate early warning messages and information to at-risk communities to help ensure timely preparedness and evacuation.
“Ensuring residents’ prompt and safe evacuation in the affected areas is crucial. This includes preparing and coordinating relief efforts to provide food, clean water, medical aid, and other essential supplies to flood victims.
“The long-term should include planning for rehabilitation and reconstruction to aid affected communities in their recovery.
“In addition, it is important to ensure that psychosocial support services are available for those affected by the flood, as many individuals may experience trauma, loss, or displacement. Mental health support and counselling services should be activated to help individuals cope with the emotional and psychological impact.
“Encouraging collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and local communities, is vital for effective disaster response. Coordinated efforts and the pooling of resources will enhance the overall response capacity.
“It is equally important for the Nigerian President and state governors, particularly those bordering the River Benue, to prioritise the safety and welfare of the affected population, work in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, and allocate resources effectively to manage the situation and prevent further harm by integrating climate change projections into long-term flood management strategies for riverine areas in the country.
“These can be achieved if the government can consider the following steps in addition:
“The government should assess the vulnerability of riverine areas to floods and the potential impacts of climate change. This assessment should consider factors such as population density, land use patterns, infrastructure, and socio-economic conditions.
“The government should incorporate climate change scenarios into its flood risk assessments, including projections of increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. This would help in understanding the potential future flood risks in riverine areas.
“Moreover, it is wise for the government to enforce strict regulations on land-use planning in flood-prone areas. This can involve restricting construction in high-risk zones and promoting sustainable land-use practices that minimise the exposure and vulnerability of communities to floods.
“Another aspect is to prioritise the construction of climate-resilient infrastructure in riverine areas. This can include building flood-resistant roads, bridges, and buildings and implementing nature-based solutions such as restoring wetlands and constructing floodplains.
“Aside from the above, the government should engage with local communities to raise awareness about climate change impacts and flood risks. This can include organising workshops, training programs, and public campaigns to educate communities on flood preparedness, early warning systems, and evacuation plans.
“In conclusion, the Nigerian government should collaborate with international organisations and partners to access technical expertise, funding, and knowledge-sharing platforms. This collaboration can help develop and implement effective flood management strategies based on climate change projections.
“By integrating climate change projections into long-term flood management strategies, the Nigerian government can enhance riverine areas’ resilience and minimise future floods’ impacts on communities and infrastructure,” he said.
[DailyPost]