The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Major General Taoreed Lagbaja has enjoined troops of the Nigerian Army (NA) to compliment their military effort with prayers for the success of the Nigerian Army (NA) in its operational engagements.
The Army Chief made the clarion call at the Interdenominational Church Service marking the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2023 on Sunday at the Mogadishu Military Cantonment, Abuja.
Recall that the NA on Wednesday commenced the commemoration of its 160th year of existence since 1867, when 18 men known as the Glover Hausas of the Royal Navy were organized into a formidable force that it is now.
Gen Lagbaja stated that the NA remains the pride of the nation and a force to reckon with in Africa and globally.
He noted that the Interdenominational Church Service is among the series of activities earmarked for all NA formations and units to commemorate the birth of the NA, as a symbol of national unity and integration.
“It also provides the opportunity for prayers and supplications to be made to God Almighty on behalf of the Nigerian Army, the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the nation in general”.
“As we mark our 160th year, I must confess that our journey has not been a bed of roses, as the Nigerian Army, in the course of holding our nation together, has fought a civil war, participated in peacekeeping cum peace enforcement missions and is currently involved in combating terrorism, insurgency and other criminalities across the country”, the Army Chief averred”, he said.
Gen Lagbaja reiterated that the various engagements of the NA within and outside the shores of Nigeria have resulted in the loss of loved ones and breadwinners.
“We have bled, we have piled up the wounded in action, and the population of our widows and widowers as well as orphans has swelled. Our sacrifices are for the love of God, humanity and country,” he stated.
He urged all NA personnel to reflect on the security challenges and include them in their prayers, believing that God Almighty will crown the efforts of the NA and the Armed Forces of Nigeria with success.
The COAS charged all personnel to continue to do their best to reciprocate government’s gesture by remaining loyal, disciplined, patriotic and undaunting, as they combat security challenges in the various theatres of operations.
He pledged more commitment to troops’ welfare and wellbeing under his command.
More than 100 protesters have taken to the streets of Lausanne as protests sparked by the killing of 17-year-old French-Algerian Nahel M. by police in France spread to Switzerland.
Although nowhere near the scale of the protests in France, protesters attacked shops and police forces, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails on Saturday evening.
“Echoing the events and riots raging in France, more than a hundred youths gathered in central Lausanne and damaged businesses,” local police said in a statement.
The violence began “following several calls on social media”, police said, and “several shop windows were smashed”.
Seven people, including six minors aged 15-17, were arrested during the riots in the French-speaking city.
No injuries were reported during the violent riots, for which around 50 police officers were deployed.
Racial tensions
France has seen a wave of violent protests since a police officer shot dead 17-year-old Nahel M. point blank after the teen allegedly failed to comply with police during a traffic stop on Tuesday in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, France.
Angry protesters have torched cars, damaged infrastructure and clashed with police in an outpouring of rage over the killing of Nahel, who has Algerian origins.
His death was captured on video, which spread on social media and fueled anger over police violence against minorities, exposing severe racial tensions in France.
The protests also spread to Belgium on Thursday, where 63 people have been arrested so far.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has said it will prosecute one Ejikeme Mmesoma for allegedly inflating her score from 249 to 362 in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, thus parading herself as the 2023 UTME top scorer.
The examination body said it also uncovered one Atung Gerald from Kaduna State, who never sat the exam, but claimed to have scored 380.
In a statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB said it found the case of Mmesoma particularly pathetic as she had allegedly hoodwinked unspecting members of the public, including businessman, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, who offered her N3m in scholarship, while a state honour was being planned to celebrate her.
The JAMB spokesperson said, “The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to several publications in both print and online media celebrating certain candidates for being high scorers in the 2023 UTME.
“The board is constrained to set the records straight and wishes to state unequivocally that many of the results which many of these candidates are parading are fake. In many instances, some of these candidates had actually obtained far lower scores than they are claiming and had used some funny software packages to manipulate their results to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
“The most pathetic of them all is the case of Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, who claimed to have scored 362 in the 2023 UTME and was awarded a N3m scholarship by Chief Innocent Chukwuma.
“She was even set to be honoured by the Anambra State Government when one of its top officials put a call through to JAMB to confirm her claim only for the board to reveal that Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma had actually scored 249 and not 362 she claimed.
“She had manipulated her UTME result to deceive the public to fraudulently obtain scholarship and other recognitions.”
On the case of Gerald, who claimed to have scored 380, JAMB said, “His ethnic group had taken the issue up, requesting that he should be given special recognition only for the board to disappoint them with the incontestable fact that Atung never obtained the 2023 UTME application documents not to talk of sitting the examination.”
JAMB said, “With this her ignoble act, Miss Mmesoma would be prosecuted and her original result withdrawn. This is not all, as the board would, in due course, investigate all candidates laying claims to higher scores than they actually obtained.
“Once discovered, such candidates’ original results would be withdrawn forthwith and they would be handed over to relevant security agencies for prosecution.”
The Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, told The PUNCH that the state already discovered Nmesioma’s claim to be false and had gone ahead to honour another candidate, Nkechinyere Umeh, who scored 360.
Tinubu Rejects EU’s Claim That INEC ‘Severely Damaged’ Its Reputation Over Conduct Of 2023 Presidential Election
AdminThe Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, Dele Alake, has vehemently rejected the European Union’s final report on the 2023 general elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The EU’s report claimed that INEC “severely damaged” its reputation over it’s poor conduct of the presidential election won by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But Alake, in the statement, recalled that Tinubu’s campaign organization had previously alerted Nigerians about the EU’s alleged plan to discredit the 2023 general elections.
The statement accused the EU of being biased and unrelenting in its assault on the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process and sovereignty.
The government, led by President Tinubu, expressed its disapproval of any foreign organization’s attempt to impose its assessment as the only yardstick for determining the credibility and transparency of Nigerian elections.
Alake insisted that the 2023 general elections, especially the presidential election, were credible, peaceful, free, fair, and the best organized in the country since 1999.
The statement challenged the EU’s assessment, questioning the limited coverage of the elections by their observers.
Faulting the Head of EU’s Electoral Observation Mission, Barry Andrews, who read out the body’s findings during a recent press conference in Abuja, Alake claimed that the EU-EOM (European Union Election Observation Mission) monitored the elections with only 11 analysts based in Abuja and 40 election observers across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, “which the government believed was insufficient for adequately observing over 176,000 polling units in Nigeria.”
He added, “We would like to know and even ask EU, how it reached the conclusions in the submitted final report with the very limited coverage of the elections by their observers who, without doubt, relied more on rumours, hearsay, cocktails of prejudiced and uninformed social media commentaries and opposition talking heads.
“We are convinced that what EU-EOM called final report on our recent elections is a product of a poorly done desk job that relied heavily on few instances of skirmishes in less than 1000 polling units out of over 176,000 where Nigerians voted on election day.
“We have many reasons to believe the jaundiced report, based on the views of fewer than 50 observers, was to merely sustain the same premature denunciatory stance contained in EU’s preliminary report released in March.
“We strongly reject, in its entirety, any notion and idea from any organisation, group and individual remotely suggesting that the 2023 election was fraudulent.”
Alake concluded that President Tinubu’s leadership has been positively received by Nigerians, and that the government remains committed to implementing reforms that will further strengthen the country’s electoral process in the future.
Some of the candidates in the election, including Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, are in court to challenge Tinubu’s victory.
Following the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria, the World Bank has projected that inflation may hit 25 per cent in 2023 against the country’s already existing 22.41 percent inflation rate.
This shows that Nigeria is 2.59 per cent points away from the World Bank projection according to the recent May Consumer Price Index (CPI) report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Recall that the World Bank had in January 2022 predicted that Nigeria might have one of the highest inflation rates in the world and the seventh highest in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the June 2023 edition of the Nigeria Development Update, the Washington-based bank said that there will be a significant increase in 2023 to 25 per cent as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy.
President Bola Tinubu in May announced the removal of fuel subsidy effective June, this led to an increase in petrol prices across states in the country.
The World Bank said: “The removal of the petrol subsidy is anticipated to cause a temporary increase in inflation in the upcoming months before contributing to disinflation in the medium term.
“The price increases resulting from the subsidy removal will have a one-time impact on prices, primarily affecting petrol purchases for transportation, power generation, and certain services.
“Also, headline inflation is expected to rise from 18.8 percent in 2022 to 25 percent in 2023. However, by Q1 of 2024, the subsidy removal will start to have a disinflationary effect, meaning that it will alleviate inflationary pressures despite higher petrol prices.”
According to the World Bank, the country’s consumer price inflation has surged and is currently one of the highest globally, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) various measures to control rising inflation, including raising the monetary policy rate by 700 basis points.
The bank said, “The loss of purchasing power from high inflation has increased poverty in the short-term, pushing an estimated 4 million Nigerians into poverty between January and May 2023.”
However, the Bank noted that the removal of the fuel subsidy would reduce the government’s dependence on funding from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the long run.
Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, member, governing board of the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), has said the planned palliative by the federal government could fail to serve its intended purpose just like that of COVID-19.
After the removal of subsidy, President Bola Tinubu had set up a committee to strategies on palliative to cushion the effect of the policy which led to pump price of fuel being jacked up times three.
Speaking on an ARISE TV programme, Prof Ibrahim said, “The palliative can easily become another fuel subsidy and we saw that very clearly during COVID-19, where the ministry of disaster management claimed they were paying billions of naira every month for school feeding.
“And we knew that schools were closed, children were at home, and when that question was posed, the response was they had traced the people and students, and the question then became ‘how?’
“We do know that for the fuel subsidy, there have been a significant attempt to identify and map the poor in this country. This has been going over the last decade; they do have a list of very poor families. There is a history of conditional grant supports to families.
“I believe that when the audit is done on some of the palliatives paid during COVID-19, it will be discovered that it’s one of the greatest robberies in the history of this country. So, that’s the problem with with subsidy palliative.”
Earlier in April, the federal government under former President Muhammadu Buhari had said it had secured the sum of $800 million from the World Bank, as part of its post-subsidy palliative plans.
It had promised to pay N5,000 to 10 million poor households for six months as palliative for removing petrol subsidy after June.
Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Mathew Kukah, has called on Federal Government to enforce the provision for the freedom of religion and worship as enshrined in the nation’s constitution and other laws of land.
According to Bishop Kukah, this can be done by providing adherents of different faiths in the country with places of worship in the various Federal Government establishments across the nation.
The Bishop who spoke to journalists shortly after the inaugural Mass at the catholic chaplaincy of the 119 Composite Group of the Nigeria Air force Sokoto, emphasized the importance of these places of worships that enable personnel to freely practice their religion.
He said most federal government universities, medical centres and other federal government establishments have no provisions for places of worship for Christians especially in many parts of Northern Nigeria, which is in breach of the constitutional provision.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use his good offices and leadership position to “urgently publish details of spending of about N400bn so far saved as a result of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly called petrol.”
SERAP urged him to “provide details of the plans on how subsequent savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol, including specific projects on which the funds would be spent, and the mechanisms that have been put in place to ensure that any such savings are not embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.”
According to reports, the Federal Government has saved N400bn within the four weeks following the implementation of the policy on the removal of payment of subsidy on petrol.
In the letter dated 1 July 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Your government has a legal responsibility to ensure that the savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol are spent solely for the benefit of the 137 million poor Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the removal.”
SERAP said, “Prevention of corruption in the spending of savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol and preventing and addressing the challenges caused by the removal are serious and legitimate public interests.”
According to SERAP, “Nigerians have the right to know how the savings are spent. Publishing the details of the spending of the savings would promote transparency, accountability, and reduce the risks of corruption in the spending of the funds.”
The letter, read in part: “SERAP is concerned that the savings from subsidy removal may be embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.”
“Opacity in the spending of the savings from subsidy removal would have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens and the public interest.”
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”
“Unless the government is transparent and accountable to Nigerians in how it spends the savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol, the removal will continue to undermine the rights of Nigerians, and increase their vulnerability to poverty and social deprivation.”
“Transparency would ensure that the funds saved from the removal of subsidy are not diverted into private pockets, and increase public trust and confidence that these savings would be used to benefit Nigerians.”
“The implementation of the National Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP) and spending on the programme have been mostly shrouded in secrecy.”
“Publishing the details of the spending of the N400bn and other savings from the removal of subsidy would also ensure that persons with public responsibilities are answerable to the people for the performance of their duties including the management of the funds.”
“Transparency and accountability in the spending details of the N400bn saved as a result of the removal of subsidy on petrol, and on the spending of subsequent savings from the removal would mean that the savings can help poor Nigerians to overcome the effects of such removal.”
“It would also help to avoid a morally repugnant result of double jeopardy on poor and socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians.”
The lack of transparency and accountability in the spending of savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol and the resulting human costs would directly threaten fundamental human rights that your government has an obligation to protect.”
“Your government has the legal obligations to address the effects of subsidy removal on the human rights of 137 million poor Nigerians, and to prevent and address some of the direst consequences that the removal may reap on human rights, especially given the disproportionate impact on these Nigerians.”
“SERAP also urges you to promptly instruct Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the spending of all savings from subsidy removal.”
“SERAP notes that the removal of subsidy on petrol continues to negatively and disproportionately affect poor Nigerians, undermining their right to adequate standard of living.”
“Your government has a positive obligation to protect individuals against the threat posed to human rights by the removal of subsidy on petrol. Your government also has legal obligations to effectively address the aftermath of subsidy removal.”
“SERAP is seriously concerned that years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the spending of public funds and entrenched impunity of perpetrators have undermined public trust and confidence in governments at all levels.”
“The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee to everyone the right to information, including the details of how the N400bn and other savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol would be spent.”
“By the combined reading of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Freedom of Information Act 2011, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, there are transparency obligations imposed on your government to widely publish the details of how the N400bn and other savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol are spent.”
“The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their government’s activities.”
“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on your government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to “abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power” in the country.”
“Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.’”
“Section 16(2) further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”
“Similarly, articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on your government to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds, and to promote sound and transparent administration of public affairs.”
An armed attack on a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Ogun State resulted in the death of a pastor and the abduction of several worshippers.
The incident took place this weekend at the church’s location in Abule-Ori, part of the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area.
The commander of the Ogun State So-Safe Corps, Soji Ganzallo, confirmed the incident.
Ganzallo reported that officers had managed to rescue the seven kidnapped church members and had killed one of the assailants during the operation.
He explained that the So-Safe Corps’ special operation team had responded swiftly to a distress call.
The call stated that members of the RCCG’s Desires of Nations Parish were attacked during a vigil, leading to the kidnapping of seven individuals and the murder of the pastor.
Ganzallo stated that the Corps’ quick action had yielded positive results: all seven of the abducted individuals were rescued, and a firefight had resulted in the death of one kidnapper and injuries to several others.
The police and the So-Safe Corps have initiated a manhunt for the kidnappers who escaped.
Ganzallo also noted that the deceased kidnapper’s body had been moved to a local morgue.
A former Zamfara Governor, Sani Yerima, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dialogue with bandits, just as the late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua dialogued with Niger Delta militants.
Naija News reports that Yerima, who promoted Sharia law during his tenure as Governor, stated this while speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa on Saturday.
The former Zamfara governor admitted that some bandits terrorising Nigeria are foreigners.
Yerima said, “I’m advising the government to, first of all, find time to sit with these bandits, just like they sat with Niger Delta militants in the past. Because a majority of them are Nigerians, even though there are some foreigners among them.
“But Nigerians among them can be convinced, as the Niger Delta militants were convinced and empowered to stop.
“if that fails, then the government can use force on them wherever they are.”
Recall that Yerima introduced sharia law in Zamfara state 23 years ago.
Under Yerima’s administration in 2000, Bello Buba Jangebe was amputated for stealing a cow following a Zamfara Sharia Court ruling.
Similarly, in 2001, Lawali Isa, who stole a bicycle, had his wrist cut.
More...
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use his good offices and leadership position to “urgently publish details of spending of about N400 billion, so far saved as a result of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol.”
A recent statement by Chinedu Okonkwo, National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), said the Federal Government has so far saved about N400 billion within the four weeks following the removal of payment of subsidy on petrol.
However, SERAP, in a letter signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged President Tinubu to “provide details of the plans on how subsequent savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol, including specific projects on which the funds would be spent, and the mechanisms that have been put in place to ensure that any such savings are not embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.”
According to the rights advocacy group, “Nigerians have the right to know how the savings are spent. Publishing the details of the spending of the savings would promote transparency, accountability, and reduce the risks of corruption in the spending of the funds.”
Dated July 1, 2023, the letter reads in part: “SERAP is concerned that the savings from subsidy removal may be embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.
“Opacity in the spending of the savings from subsidy removal would have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens and the public interest.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.
“Unless the government is transparent and accountable to Nigerians in how it spends the savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol, the removal will continue to undermine the rights of Nigerians, and increase their vulnerability to poverty and social deprivation.
“Transparency would ensure that the funds saved from the removal of subsidy are not diverted into private pockets, and increase public trust and confidence that these savings would be used to benefit Nigerians.
“The implementation of the National Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP) and spending on the programme have been mostly shrouded in secrecy.
“Publishing the details of the spending of the N400bn and other savings from the removal of subsidy would also ensure that persons with public responsibilities are answerable to the people for the performance of their duties including the management of the funds.
“Transparency and accountability in the spending details of the N400bn saved as a result of the removal of subsidy on petrol, and on the spending of subsequent savings from the removal would mean that the savings can help poor Nigerians to overcome the effects of such removal.
“It would also help to avoid a morally repugnant result of double jeopardy on poor and socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians.
“The lack of transparency and accountability in the spending of savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol and the resulting human costs would directly threaten fundamental human rights that your government has an obligation to protect.
“Your government has the legal obligations to address the effects of subsidy removal on the human rights of 137 million poor Nigerians, and to prevent and address some of the direst consequences that the removal may reap on human rights, especially given the disproportionate impact on these Nigerians.
“SERAP also urges you to promptly instruct Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the spending of all savings from subsidy removal.
“SERAP notes that the removal of subsidy on petrol continues to negatively and disproportionately affect poor Nigerians, undermining their right to adequate standard of living.
“Your government has a positive obligation to protect individuals against the threat posed to human rights by the removal of subsidy on petrol. Your government also has legal obligations to effectively address the aftermath of subsidy removal.
“SERAP is seriously concerned that years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the spending of public funds and entrenched impunity of perpetrators have undermined public trust and confidence in governments at all levels.
“The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee to everyone the right to information, including the details of how the N400bn and other savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol would be spent.
“By the combined reading of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Freedom of Information Act 2011, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, there are transparency obligations imposed on your government to widely publish the details of how the N400bn and other savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol are spent.
“The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their government’s activities.
“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on your government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to “abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power” in the country.
“Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.
“Section 16(2) further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.
“Similarly, articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on your government to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds, and to promote sound and transparent administration of public affairs.”
[TheWill]
A coalition of non-governmental organizations, including the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), Original Inhabitant groups, and other civil society organizations (CSOs), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to address long-standing marginalization of the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) Original Inhabitants by including them in his ministerial list.
The group issued a joint statement on Sunday, urging the President to rectify the historical wrongs committed against the indigenous people in the FCT.
This call came amid grievances over the alleged political exclusion and marginalization of the original inhabitants who surrendered their ancestral lands for the creation of the country’s capital, Abuja, in 1976.
“Decades-long injustices meted to the FCT Original Inhabitants include the failure to fulfill promises made by the Nigerian government in 1976 to relocate and adequately compensate them for their lands.
“47 years later, no Original Inhabitant of the FCT has held the position of Minister of the Federal Republic,” said Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, Executive Director of CHRICED.
The coalition argued that the original inhabitants have been reduced to spectators in the politics and administration of their own country, with their democratic rights being denied.
“When Nigerians in other states are voting for governors and members of their Houses of Assembly, the original inhabitants and other residents of the FCT are excluded,” said Ambassador Hannatu Aze Usman-Nga, Executive Director of the Association of FCT Traditional Rulers Wives.
The coalition expressed the belief that the inclusion of FCT Original Inhabitants in key governance structures, like the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the National Assembly, and the judiciary, would be an important first step in remedying these injustices.
According to the CSOs, it would also uphold their fundamental rights under Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
“Another denial of the original inhabitants’ participation in a key governance structure such as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would be a continuation of the injustices they have endured for decades,” warned Chief Isaac David, President of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO).
The group looked forward to the release of President Tinubu’s ministerial list, hoping that it will mark a turning point in the treatment of the FCT’s original inhabitants by the Nigerian government.
The coalition further called for a “big and bold step” from the President to begin rectifying the historical wrongs committed against these indigenous people.
Other signatories to the joint statement include: Mr. Festus Yakubu, President of the Original Inhabitants With Disabilities Multipurpose Co-Operative Society FCT; Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, President of the Helpline Foundation for the Needy; Mrs. Faith Nwadishi, JP, Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA); Mrs. Maryamu Isah Barnabas, Director of the Mairo Women Foundation, Ushafa; Mr. Olusola Babalola, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Development Awareness (CESDA); Mrs. Abiodun Essiet, Executive Director of the Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls; Mr. Tijani Abdulkareem, Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC); and Mr. Bassey Bassey, Executive Director of the Hipcity Innovation Hub Centre (HIPCITY).
[vanguard]
On Friday, June 30, FORMER Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor said that the Armed Force had curtailed insecurity challenges in the country under his leadership.
Lucky Irabor was at appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January, 2021 and sacked sacked on Monday, June 19 by President Bola Tinubu along with the other service chiefs.
Speaking at the pulling-out ceremony held in his honour, the former Chief of Defence Staff noted that the Armed Force had mitigated the threat of terrorism and decreased the level of insecurity in Nigeria.
Stressing that President Ahmed Tinubu would grapple with nation building and national security challenges, Irabor noted he is leaving the Armed Force of Nigeria bigger, stronger and more capable.
“I make bold to say that I’m leaving the armed forces of Nigeria today,bigger,stronger and more capable to deliver on its constitutional mandate and national security functions.
“In more specific terms we have significantly curtailed the threats of terrorism, insurgency, piracy, sea robberies, vandalism of critical national assets and kidnappings, and the military aid to civil authority role.
“We successfully work in conjunction with other security agencies and stakeholders to deliver a physical security environment that is amenable for Law and Order, critical democratic processes as well as human security and national development,” Irabor stressed.
Months earlier, the EX-CDS (then CDS) boasted that the military had recorded landmark successes in the fight against terrorism and curbed insurgency.
Delivering a lecture titled “National Defence Policy and Transitional Justice Approach in the War Against Insurgency in Nigeria” in Edo state, Irabor said that among the 51,828 Boko Haram that surrendered, 13,360 are fighters.”
Irabor had revealed that no fewer than 51,828 Boko Haram terrorists and their family members surrendered to the Federal Government of Nigeria between July 2021 and May 2022.
Contrary to the claim of the EX-CDS that terrorism and insecurity activities reduced during the period of his leadership, statistics shows an increment.
To find out if the military has significantly curtailed insecurity since Irabor’s assumption in office from 2021 till 2023; The ICIR used Data gathered from SBMIntel, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), Nigeria Mourns and the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) to fact-check Irabor’s claim that he had significantly curtailed insecurity.
The ICIR analysed number of violent incidents gathered by SBMIntel, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), Nigeria Mourns and the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST).
The ICIR earlier reported major issues on insecurity as Buhari’s administration wind down its eight years tenure of leadership.
Documenting attacks on security personnels, it identified cattle rustling as a significant contributor to rising insecurity in the country.
Showing that the insecurity challenges had caused displacement of thousands of Nigerians, it maintained insecurity is one of the major challenges of Buhari’s administration.
Did the Nigerian Armed Force curtailed insecurity as Lucky Irabor claimed? Here is what data state
A way to weigh improved security architecture is through either increase or decrease in the number of violent incidents recorded within the period of his leadership, as well as recorded death.
Nigeria Mourns, reported that 3,188 people lost their lives in violence attacks between January to December 2019.
These include lives lost during such as gang wars, clashes, extra-judicial killings, resource crisis, kidnappings and Boko-Haram/ ISWAP attacks.
It stated that 2,707 killed were civilians, while 481 were state security agents.
According to the SBMintel Quarterly Media Killing Report gathered between January to December 2020 not less than 7,070 incidents of armed violence were reported.
In the years that followed, SBMintel records 10,366 and 7,728 in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
By end of December 2022, the mortality rate of armed violent incidents have skyrocketed drastically.
A critical evaluation of the figures and compilation revealed that over 18,000 deaths were recorded in violent incidents including attacks from Boko Haram, militia herdsmen, abduction and gang clashes since 2021.
Similarly, despite the spread of insecurity and insurgency in the Northeast, ACLED data indicated that deaths registered from violent incidents between 2019 and 2020 totalled 14,407 is relatively low compared to the registered mortality rate between 2021 and 2022 (21,641).
ACLED pointed out that the mortality rate increased by 50.2% within two years as a result of insecurity.
However, NST data shows a total number of 8,340 and 9,694 people died from insecurity in 2019 and 2020 respectively, the record of mortality in 2021 shot up to 10,398 while it never decreased below nine thousand (9,080) in 2022.
Kidnapping: what has happened?
Bandits and terrorists in northern Nigeria; Niger Delta insurgents; as well as ritual killers in the west and east; have all continued to practice kidnapping, banditry, or abduction.
Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) showed a rising trend in the frequency of mass kidnappings and the overall number of kidnapping victims in the nation by analysing data gathered
Between 2019 to 2020 (two years before Irabor’s appointment); NST recorded 1,441 and 2,879 victims of kidnapping respectively.
The following, two years under the leadership of the EX-CDS Lucky Irabor administration’s leadership; Nigeria witnessed a spike in the number of mass abduction and the reign of kidnapping continues.
NST data showed that almost 10,000 people fell into the net of kidnappers in 2021 and 2022.
Noting that 5,287 and 4,680 victims were recorded for the two years respectively , data shows that the rate of kidnapping had doubled.
As cited in Punch, a security report by Beacon Intel recorded that 7,92 persons were kidnapped in the first quarter of 2023.
This study covered the abduction recorded from January to March this year.
One of the major kidnapping cases during Irabor leadership was the abduction of Abuja-Kaduna train passengers.
Terrorists attacked the train on March 28 and killed an unspecified number of passengers before abducting dozens of others to an unidentified location, according to The ICIR.
After months of negotiations between the federal government, victims’ families and terrorists, the abducted were finally released.
Announcing the release, the minister said, “I am pleased to announce to the nation and the world that at 16:00hrs (4:00 pm) today, Wednesday 5-10-22, the seven-man Presidential Committee assembled by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Leo Irabor, secured the release and took custody of all the 23 remaining passengers held hostage by Boko Haram terrorists following the attack on the Abuja to Kaduna train on 28-3-2022.
“The nation owes a debt of gratitude to the Nigerian military under the leadership of the CDS, who conceived and guided the operation from start to finish. All sister security agencies and the Federal Ministry of Transportation contributed immensely to this operation.
[ICIR]
In a dramatic turn of events, soldiers belonging to the esteemed 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, stationed in Enugu State, found themselves embroiled in a heated exchange of gunfire with the local neighbourhood watch group in the tranquil Eke community. The intense clash unfolded within the jurisdiction of the Udi Local Government Area, leaving onlookers stunned and the situation on edge.
It has been reported that a man and his wife were purportedly shot and killed, while another individual, identified as Chinedu Okolo, suffered severe injuries resulting in the complete shattering of his penis.
Several individuals who were part of the local security network and managed to survive the attack are said to be in critical condition at a hospital whose location has not been disclosed.
During an exclusive interview with esteemed journalists, Emeka Anigbo, the Assistant Chief Security Officer of Eke Security Neighbourhood Vigilante Watch, bravely recounted the harrowing events that unfolded on Thursday night at the infamous 9th Mile Corner. Despite enduring multiple gunshot wounds, Anigbo fearlessly shared his firsthand account of the incident.
During a recent interview, Anigbo revealed that they had embarked on a mission to express their support and congratulations to their fellow colleagues who were being officially sworn in as members of the local neighbourhood watch. However, their plans took an unexpected turn when they received an urgent distress call. It was reported that a group of armed robbers had barricaded the main road that connects the well-known Catholic Church Prayer Centre (Ugwudinso) and Eke, originating from Ama breweries.
He recounted how they immediately abandoned their tantalising spread of food and refreshing beverages upon receiving the urgent call. With unwavering determination, they hastily embarked on a mission to confront the nefarious individuals responsible. However, their valiant efforts were thwarted as the heavy gridlock on the road rendered their vehicles immobile, preventing them from reaching the scene in a timely manner.
In a recent account, the individual recounted their encounter with a group of armed soldiers. According to their statement, they made the decision to park their vehicle alongside the road before proceeding towards their intended destination. As they approached the scene, they were startled to discover three soldiers brandishing weapons, who promptly commanded them to halt in a forceful manner.
In a display of compliance, we dutifully adhered to the soldiers' orders, promptly halting our movements. With a calm yet assertive tone, we informed them that we were individuals actively engaged in the noble pursuit of safeguarding our community as dedicated members of the neighbourhood watch programme. At that juncture, a request was made for our continued presence.
In a harrowing encounter, our team approached the location where the soldiers were positioned, only to be met with a barrage of gunfire. Tragically, this unprovoked attack claimed the life of one of our esteemed members, as well as the wife of an individual who had recently been inaugurated at the 9th Mile. In a daring journey back to Eke, a woman found herself astride a motorbike, accompanied by her husband.
It has been reported that despite the individuals being in their full security uniform and having properly identified themselves, a group of soldiers displayed an alarming level of aggression by opening fire at close range. This reckless action resulted in the untimely demise of both Mr. Oke and the unidentified woman.
In a shocking turn of events, a distressing incident unfolded as an individual found themselves at the receiving end of multiple gunshots while lying defenceless on the ground. Despite the clear visibility of their identification card and unmistakable uniform, one of the soldiers involved callously proceeded to inflict yet another gunshot wound, this time targeting the victim's shoulder.
A soldier persistently struck my chest while menacingly uttering the chilling words, "I will end your life today."
My life was saved thanks to the prompt arrival of police operatives from the 9th Mile corner. In a significant development, it was the police who intercepted the soldier, thereby providing concrete evidence that indeed the individuals in question are none other than the esteemed Eke neighbourhood security guards.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Post, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu, the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 82 Division, vehemently refuted the accounts provided by the victims, dismissing them as nothing but falsehoods.
According to Unuakhalu, the woman who tragically lost her life was fatally struck by a stray bullet amidst a fierce exchange of gunfire between armed hoodlums and the soldiers.
In a statement, he revealed that a distress call had been received by the troops, alerting them to the presence of criminal elements operating along the Eke road. Without hesitation, they swiftly mobilised and made their way to the scene.
It has been reported that upon the soldiers' arrival, the hoodlums immediately initiated gunfire. However, the security operatives swiftly retaliated, overpowering the assailants. As a result, one of the criminals was apprehended, while two pump-action guns and a quantity of live ammunition were successfully seized. It is worth noting that a few of the culprits managed to escape by seeking refuge in a nearby bush.
In a statement, he vehemently denied the allegations circulating that the deceased was killed by soldiers, asserting that there is absolutely no truth to such claims.
In a swift response to a distress call, our brave men sprang into action, rushing to the scene to salvage the situation.
Tragically, the untimely demise of the woman has left us without the invaluable firsthand account that she would have provided, offering a precise and detailed narrative of the events that unfolded.
In a statement, he emphasised the Division's commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident in order to uncover the truth behind the events that unfolded.