Security operatives at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday dispersed protesters and journalists from the facility with gunshots, Punch reports.

The security operatives aimed at protesters and journalists who ran for cover.

The protesters were reconvening after being dispersed by security agents deployed to the stadium.

Suddenly, masked security operatives suspected to be personnel of the Department of State Services started shooting sporadically at protesters.

As a result, the protesters ran inside bushes around the stadium with some of the security operatives giving them a hot chase.

Afterwards, the remaining masked operatives on the ground came for the journalists who were at a separate spot.

As they approached, journalists fled, scrambling into any available vehicle.

The masked security operatives fired sporadically at the fleeing journalists.

Bullets pierced a Premium Times reporter’s car conveying journalists out of the location at three different locations.

Also, a commuter vehicle’s glass was shattered with bullets.

The Peoples Democratic Party has criticised President Bola Tinubu for not addressing the nation amid the nationwide EndBadGovernance protests.

Amid severe economic hardships, many Nigerians are struggling to afford basic necessities. In response, youths began protests on Thursday, continuing into Friday, across Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, and other regions, demanding an end to hunger and poor governance.

In a statement released on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP urged Tinubu to break his silence, address the nation immediately, and reassure citizens of the pressing issues affecting them.

The statement read in part, “The PDP demands that President Tinubu immediately address Nigerians on urgent steps to reduce the price of petroleum products, stem the fall of the Naira and ensure speedy provision of food among other critical issues so as to revamp the productive sector, stimulate employment and restore stability in the polity.

“Our Party expresses concerns that President Tinubu’s silence is sending a very dangerous signal and heightening public apprehension that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government is insensitive to the feelings of the citizens and the overall sorry state of affairs in the nation.

“It is indeed worrisome that President Tinubu could remain silent as Nigerians are on the streets demanding good governance, protection, security and welfare, which are the primary purposes of government.

“The world is watching in horror as operatives of APC-controlled security agencies assault, shoot and kill unarmed protesters, with thugs allegedly mobilized by the APC also unleashing violence on innocent Nigerians.”

The opposition party also demanded a comprehensive investigation into the reported killing of unarmed Nigerians, allegedly by security operatives.

It continued, “Our Party calls on President Tinubu to end his silence, immediately address the nation and reassure the citizens on issues agitating their minds, particularly the reduction in the price of petroleum products and food items

“Our Party insists that with deft, transparent and innovative management of resources, economic potentials, comparative advantage and refining capacity, petrol should not sell more than N200 per litre in Nigeria, especially with a strategic investment in gas production.

“President Tinubu should also urgently commence the process of recovering the over N50 trillion reportedly stolen by APC leaders, reduce tariffs on essential goods, cut the cost of governance, review all luxury items in his government and channel funds recovered to programmes that have a direct bearing on the wellbeing of Nigerians.

“Furthermore, while calling for a thorough investigation into the reported killing of unarmed Nigerians by certain unscrupulous security operatives, the PDP urges the security agencies to ensure a high level of professionalism in their duty of providing security and protection to the citizens.”

On Saturday, security operatives forcibly dispersed a group of protesters gathered in front of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, ignoring a court order that restricted the demonstration to the stadium premises.

The protesters, who were exercising their right to freedom of assembly, were met with tear gas and intimidation by security personnel. 

The sudden crackdown left many demonstrators feeling frustrated and disappointed.

“We just wanted to make our voices heard, but they wouldn’t let us,” said Evelyn, a protester who was present at the scene. “It’s like they’re trying to silence us, but we won’t be quiet.”

Another protester, Tunde Oyedele, added, “We’re not troublemakers; we just want change. But every time we try to speak out, they shut us down. It’s like our voices don’t matter.”

When a Vanguard correspondent, who identified himself properly as a journalist, attempted to enter the stadium, security personnel denied access, stating, “Find your way out of here. You can’t park your vehicle inside the stadium either. There is no protest here. We were told there is not going to be a protest here anymore.”

This contradicts the court order and raises questions about the security operatives’ authority.

Despite the tensions, vehicular movement and businesses are gradually picking up momentum in the nation’s capital on the third day of protests against hunger and economic hardships. 

The city appears to be normalizing, with citizens going about their daily activities.

The incident highlights concerns about the suppression of free speech and the rule of law in Nigeria, leaving many to wonder if their voices will ever be heard.

As soon as the midwife placed the newborn baby in HappinessMonday’s arms, she gazed into her baby’s eyes, taking in the tiny features and soft skin.

But before she could even hold her close, the nurse swiftly took the baby away, handing her to a stranger who had been lurking in the shadows with some wads of Naira notes in exchange for the newborn.

Their arrest, as gathered, followed an intelligence report about a building that serves as a birth house in Rumuokwurusi town in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, where newborn babies were allegedly sold.

Consequently, the Command boss, CP Olatunji Disu, directed the Commander of the Monitoring Squad, CSP Grace Wonwu, to unearth the baby sale gang. Police sources hinted that when the policemen arrived at the house on July 6, 2024, a 17-year-old pale-looking pregnant teenager whose baby was allegedly to be sold upon delivery was rescued, alongside the woman whose newly born baby was sold.

In this interview with the mother of the newborn baby that was sold, she revealed that she was paid N400,000 for the sale of her baby. When asked why she volunteered to sell her baby, the woman, who identified herself as Happiness Monday, blamed her action on poverty and hunger. Without access to education, employment, or social support, she said she was left with no other option but to sell her baby.

Her confession:“I came from Akwa-Ibom to hustle in Port Harcourt. I was living on my own until a flood chased me out. I started living with my man friend. When I was pregnant, he asked me to leave the pregnancy. Later, he started accusing me of sleeping around with the pregnancy and denied paternity of the baby.

“In September 2023, he told me he was going for a job outside Port Harcourt but never returned. When I went to ask his mother of his whereabouts, she told me that she had not been on talking terms with her son for years. She said since her son didn’t accept the pregnancy, she won’t accept it either. Later, when the house rent expired, I went to an uncompleted building to stay. By the time I came back from antenatal one day, the owner of the uncompleted building had put a gate there and locked it. It was at that point I went to tell this nurse (pointing to the midwife) to help me get someone that would take my baby, since I didn’t have shelter or money to feed and clothe the baby. She told me she had somebody that would take the baby for N400,000. Immediately I was delivered of the baby, someone came and the baby was handed over to the person. I didn’t see the person’s face. I only told the nurse to assure me that the person taking the baby would take care of her and would not kill her. She said the nurse that brought the buyer said the person was a Pastor’s wife.

“Out of the N400,000, I rented an apartment, used some to pay the debt owed, and the balance of N160,000 was kept in the nurse’s account with the intention of establishing a business. It was because of this same hardship that made me take my three older children to the mother of their father back in the village. He left me for another woman because he didn’t pay my dowry.”

On her part, the 31-year-old midwife, Success Igwe, said that was the first time she was involved in the sale of a baby. She said she gave out the baby for N450,000 and collected only N50,000 meant for delivery charges and handed the rest to Happiness.

Asked what the pregnant teenager was doing at her birth house, she said, “Her sister brought her on Thursday, July 4, 2024. She said she should be with me because she was going to a convention. When I asked if she was aware the girl was pregnant, she said yes. I had to give her some medicine because she was running a temperature when she arrived. It was two days later that I was arrested.”

However, the pale-looking teenage girl could not express herself in English. She only identified herself as Margret Okonide and said she came from Akwa-Ibom. Efforts made to gather more facts from her failed due to the communication barrier.

The spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, has said that the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, remains wanted until arrested.

Naija News reports that Bello is still on the run 107 days after being declared wanted by the EFCC.

On April 18, 2024, the anti-graft agency declared Bello wanted in connection with an alleged case of money laundering to the tune of ₦80,246,470,089.88.

A group of armed men identified as ‘Special Forces’ and some policemen prevented EFCC operatives from apprehending Bello at his Wuse Zone 4, Abuja residence on Wednesday, April 17.

Speaking with Punch, the Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the EFCC was not ready to arrest Bello.

According to him, the anti-corruption agency has sophisticated equipment to track and arrest Bello.

Nwanguma said, “It is surprising that despite all the hot waves and drama of the EFCC, including the vow of the chairman that he would resign if he couldn’t arrest Yahaya Bello, the man is still out there more than three months after he was declared wanted.

“If they truly wanted to arrest Yahaya Bello, they would have arrested him. If this was a case of a poor man, they would have easily arrested him.”

However, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, dismissed the insinuation that the agency had been compromised or unwilling to arrest the former governor.

Speaking with the aforementioned publication, Oyewale said, “The matter is in court and there are various orders of the court. Senior lawyers who failed to bring him (Bello) to court are already slated for discipline.

“If an anti-corruption agency declares a suspect wanted, all over the world, he remains wanted until he is arrested.

“Yahaya Bello has been declared wanted and he remains wanted. Judicial processes have been instituted in court and they are ongoing.”

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has said the forefathers of Nigeria like Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikwe, Tafawa Balewa, Anthony Enahoro, and MKO Abiola are angry with Nigeria.

Primate Ayodele made the remark while reacting to claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike that a senator was sponsoring the protest in the capital city.

Wike had claimed that the senator was feeding the angry protesters.

However, Primate Ayodele dismissed Wike’s allegation, stressing that Nigeria’s forefathers were angry with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement by his Media Aide, Oluwatosin Osho, Ayodele said people like Wike, traditional rulers and politicians are deceiving President Tinubu.

He urged Tinubu to shun deceivers and focus on reality, adding that the president should stop giving materials to governors for ordinary Nigerians because they are corrupt and won’t help matters.

In a statement by Osho, the clergyman said: ‘’People are deceiving you too much, the unofficial governor of Abuja, your daughter, and all these traditional rulers are all deceiving you. Listen to the voice of common men, these obas didn’t vote for you, listen to those who spent their time to vote for you.

“The protest is a wrong signal, it doesn’t take you anything to solve this economic catastrophe. The honourables, senators, and governors are to be blamed also, they are not helping the situation, it is not the federal government alone.

“The president should stop giving them materials for the common Nigerians.’

‘’Nobody is instigating anything, everyone is angry including the forefathers of this nation like Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikwe, Tafawa Balewa, Anthony Enahoro, and MKO Abiola.’’

Former President Donald Trump announced he has agreed to Fox News’ proposal for a debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump said the debate would be held on September 4 in Pennsylvania, although the location of the event is yet to be determined.

Trump also noted that an ABC News debate previously scheduled against President Joe Biden before he suspended his re-election campaign had been canceled.

“I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

The moderators of the debate will be Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Friday, described corruption as a deadly cankerworm that lays great nations in ruins.

While speaking at the 26th Annual Wole Soyinka Lecture organised by the National Association of Seadogs, known as Pyrates Confraternity, to mark his 90th birthday, Soyinka stated that corruption put people at a great disadvantage.

He noted that it would be challenging to win the war against corruption, without attitudinal change and the readiness of everyone to begin to do the right thing.

Soyinka, in 1952 had started the Pyrates Confraternity alongside six other undergraduates of the University of Ibadan.

The lecture, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, had its theme, “The Baby or the Bathwater: Navigating the dark tunnels of systemic corruption to nationhood.”

Soyinka, while commenting on the lecture delivered by former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, said that the challenge of corruption was such that it ran from the top to the bottom in Nigeria, adding that only a collective decision would halt its deadly march in the country.

He said, “The particular aspect of this lecture that struck me is corruption. Corruption is not just when you exchange money; it is a cankerworm that eats deep into the fabric of society from the top to the bottom and corrupts our very nature, our very existence.

“And one aspect of the lecture emphasised that the cure for corruption begins from the inside. Yes, we can talk about institutions, government, and the exercise of power unfairly and inordinately to the disadvantage of the rest of the community as part of corruption, but ultimately, the solution, both short-term and long-term, must begin from the inside, and this is one of the motives for establishing the Pyrates Confraternity 62 years ago.”

Soyinka also used the medium to disabuse the minds of the people regarding misconceptions about the Pyrates Confraternity, saying that the registered association is not a blood-thirsty secret cult but an association founded to push for justice and advance the betterment of the country.

Soyinka, alongside the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, later unveiled a book “Ship Ahoy,” written to document the 60-year history of the confraternity.

In his lecture earlier, Babatunde Fashola, the former two-term Minister of Works and Housing, described Soyinka as not only a gift to the country and the continent but to the entire civilisation.

Speaking on the theme of the lecture, Fashola maintained that while corruption in terms of financial gains is undoubtedly condemned, the worst form of corruption is that which has displaced our highly cherished moral values and has, therefore corrupted the people’s ways of life.

He said, “When I was in office as a minister, the Federal Road Safety Corps usually made copies of the monthly reports on road crashes available to me. The report is actually for the office of the Secretary-General of the Federation, but I used to get a copy.

“In October 2022, a total of 1,111 road crashes were reported across the country, out of which 449 people died, representing six per cent of 6458 people involved in the accidents, with 2780 injured.

“The analysis showed a three per cent decrease when compared with the previous month but a 10 per cent increase when compared with the figure for October 2021.

“This goes to show that an average of 400 people are lost monthly to road crashes in the country, but I doubt if the insecurity which is always an issue during campaigns is responsible for such a huge loss of lives every month in the country.”

Veteran Nollywood actor cum politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has asserted that the approved ₦70,000 minimum wage does not reflect the current reality in the country.

Recalls that President Bola Tinubu recently assented to the N70,000 minimum wage following an agreement with joint labour unions.

In an interview with Nigerian journalist, Seun Okinbaloye on the ‘Mic On’ podcast, Okonkwo maintained that the former N30,000 minimum wage was more valuable than the current N70,000 minimum wage.

He pointed out that everything has turned different since the administration of President Bola Tinubu came to power and questioned what they have achieved.

He said, “The N30,000 minimum wage people were earning before this government came in was of greater value than current N70,000 minimum wage. Because you had N500 to a dollar when this government came in, but now it’s N1,500. It went to N2,000 at a point. Do the mathematics.

“So what are we talking about? When it was N500 per dollar, the minimum wage was $60. Now that the exchange rate is N1,500 it should be about $45 per month. And see that it’s of less value. So what can they say that they have achieved?”

Damilola Adenola, one of the leaders of the ongoing hardship protests, stated that the protesters have not yet achieved their objectives. Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday, Adenola emphasized that the protests will continue until their demands are met.

Adenola criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for not directly addressing the protesters. He dismissed claims that politicians are funding the protests, asserting that economically deprived Nigerians drive the movement.

He explained, “The protest is the idea of the economically deprived Nigerians. The protesters have yet to achieve their objectives, as stated in our demands charter. But we have made strong statements and shown those in power what people can do to express their displeasure. This has begun, and it is ongoing. We are waiting for the government to respond to our demands. Until then, the protests will continue.”

Adenola highlighted the importance of holding the government accountable, stating, “We have made people see the power of holding the government accountable. This will bring the government to the consciousness that governance is about people. The sponsor of this protest is Hunger. It is the economic inequality and deprivation that forced people out.”