October 17, 2021

[GIST] #EndSARS: How Buhari's Regime, Lagos Governor Sanwo-Olu Mobilised Armed Thugs To Attack Unarmed Protesters — Sowore

[GIST] #EndSARS: How Buhari's Regime, Lagos Governor Sanwo-Olu Mobilised Armed Thugs To Attack Unarmed Protesters — Sowore

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Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore has said President Muhammadu Buhari's regime mobilised armed thugs to disrupt the #EndSARS protest which was organised by young Nigerians last year. 

The protest was organised to seek an end to police brutality, among other demands. 

He stated this in a post on his Facebook page on Sunday. 

Sowore condemned the hypocrisy of Nigerian leaders who have asked youths to desist from organising a protest in honour of the victims of the #EndSARS protest, citing alleged plans by hoodlums to hijack the protests. 

According to him, Buhari's regime conveyed thugs in government-registered vehicles to attack peaceful protesters, leading to the death of some of the demonstrators. 

He further said the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu gave out air-conditioned BRT buses to the hoodlums to invade a protest venue last October.

The post reads: “Throughout the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, the Muhammadu Buhari regime mobilised well-armed thugs to attack unarmed #EndSARS protesters here in Abuja, they were ferried around in Government registered vehicles, some of them mobilised through Jabi Park, they injured and even killed two peaceful protesters. 

“In Lagos, Gov. Sanwo-Olu gave out official air-conditioned state-owned commercial BRT buses to thugs to attack #EndSARS peaceful protesters camped at the Lagos State House of Assembly, when they didn’t succeed, they mobilised the HQ Nigerian Army to shoot and murder innocent #Endsarsprotesters at #Lekkitollgate, that global terrorism carried out against innocent young Nigerian citizens by Muhammadu Buhari, Jide Sanwo-Olu and then Chief of Army Staff Yusuf Tukur Buratai led to the untimely but brutal deaths of many.

“Now the same government is claiming they are worried about 'hoodlums hijacking' the #EndSARSmemorial. 

“Muhammadu Buhari, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and DSS (Department of State Services) men accompanying hoodlums are the real HOODLUMS! #RevolutionNow #BuhariMustGo.”

Buhari had in the past claimed last year’s #EndSARS protest against police brutality was aimed at removing him from office.

He added that those who participated in the protest have made Nigeria unattractive to investors.

“This question was answered last year when there was the #EndSARS protest. You remember the young people that wanted to march here and remove me?

“Tell the young people to behave themselves and make the country safe, then we can attract real investors to the country,” he had said during an interview with Arise TV.

The #EndSARS protest, which was held between October 8 and 20 last year, was a public outcry for an end to police brutality, extrajudicial killings, extortion and abuse of power, especially by officers of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The protest, which started peacefully, led to the disbandment of SARS by the Nigerian government.

The protest was brought to a halt on October 20, 2020, when officers of the Nigerian Army shot at the protesters, killing and injuring some of them at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.

This year, the Nigeria Police have threatened to quash any protest held in memory of the victims.

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[GIST] Pandora Papers: Nigeria's Anti-graft Agency, EFCC Invites Ex-Vice Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi For Questioning

[GIST] Pandora Papers: Nigeria's Anti-graft Agency, EFCC Invites Ex-Vice Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi For Questioning

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The former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, whose secret and illegal offshore activities PREMIUM TIMES reported in the ongoing Pandora Papers series, has been summoned for questioning by the EFCC, Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency.

It is the first known action by any Nigerian law enforcement agency since PREMIUM TIMES started reporting influential Nigerians involved in offshore shenanigans exposed through the global Pandora Papers investigation. The presidency has directed that Nigerians exposed in the reports be investigated, those with knowledge of the directive have told this paper.

The newspaper learnt that the EFCC communicated the invitation to Mr Obi during the week and he has been asked to report at the agency’s Abuja headquarters on October 27 to face investigators.

Sources separately said the invitation is in connection with revelations in our Pandora Papers report. The report exposed how Mr Obi incorporated offshore holdings, which he did not declare to the Code of Conduct Bureau when he served as a governor and how he continued to manage his Next International UK Limited 14 months after becoming a governor. In addition, he also continued to operate a foreign account as a governor.

All these actions, which had been secret until our report, were in contravention of Nigeria’s laws on code of conduct for public officers, PREMIUM TIMES reported. Mr Obi has, however, continued to claim no wrongdoing.

However, a source at the anti-graft agency said the Pandora Papers revelations only served as a lead for investigators and that “a number of issues” are now being investigated regarding Mr Obi and his offshore dealings. See Also Corruption Pandora Papers: Investigation Reveals How Ex-Nigerian Governor, Peter Obi Repeatedly Broke The Law Amid Many Secret Businesses 0 Comments 1 Week Ago

Exact details are slow to emerge.

Apart from Mr Obi, acting NPA MD, Mohammed Bello-Koko, and former minister and serving senator, Stella Oduah, have been reported in the PREMIUM TIMES’ ongoing Pandora Papers series. 

Others included Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State as well as his associates including former Lagos Bola Tinubu, and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun. We also reported the offshore links of children of former NSA Sambo Dasuki and billionaire Leno Adesanya.

It was learnt that President Muhammadu Buhari has requested relevant law agencies, including the EFCC, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, and the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate all Nigerians whose secret, many times suspicious, dealings were exposed in Pandora Papers series.

It is not clear if the EFCC’s action on Mr Obi is connected to Mr Buhari’s directive.

However, a source said the anti-graft agency’s investigations would be extended to “all persons reported with links to the Pandora Papers.”

“It is an ongoing, gradual process,” the source said, asking not to be identified.

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[GIST] Thugs Allegedly Working For Oyo Governor Makinde's Appointee, Auxiliary Vandalise Deputy Governor's Petrol Station, Bakery

[GIST] Thugs Allegedly Working For Oyo Governor Makinde's Appointee, Auxiliary Vandalise Deputy Governor's Petrol Station, Bakery

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Some unknown thugs vandalised a petrol station and bakery owned by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan on Saturday. 

 

This followed the absence of the deputy governor at a factional state congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) organised by the state governor, Seyi Makinde. 

Meanwhile, there are suspicions in some quarters that the Chairman of the Motor Park Management System in the state, Lamidi Mukaila, popularly called Auxiliary was behind the vandalism. 

 

Our correspondent reports that the cold war between Makinde and his deputy was obvious on Saturday when the deputy governor attended a book launch while the congress was ongoing.

 

SaharaReporters learnt that the thugs arrived at Dayream Petrol Station, Agugu around 8pm, hours after some thugs had attacked the factional congress of the PDP where more than 100 vehicles were vandalised. 

 

A ward chairman of the party was also brutalised.

 

A former factional state chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in Oyo State, Mukaila, aka Auxiliary, was sentenced to six years imprisonment for conspiracy to murder in 2016.

 

He and some four other accused persons were convicted and sentenced for conspiracy in the death of some individuals, including a final-year medical student, Adekunle Oladipupo. 

 

Upon returning from prison, Governor Makinde appointed him as the chairman of the Motor Park Management System, a development that generated negative reactions from the public.

 

Meanwhile, Olaniyan has reported Auxiliary to the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), accusing him of attacking his petrol station and bakery along with his thugs. 

 

SaharaReoorters learnt that the police invited Auxiliary, but he denied the allegations, saying, "The deputy governor is my father."

 

Olaniyan, our correspondent learnt had also petitioned the state police command, alleging that his convoy was being trailed. 

 

The vandalised petrol station and bakery are managed by the wife of the deputy governor, Prof. Amdalat Olaniyan.

 

A source close to the deputy governor told SaharaReporters that: ”Initially, the police asked the deputy governor why he did not inform the governor who is the chief security officer of the state but he replied that he is the affected person and the police are the appropriate quarters to channel such petition.

 

"In fact, some people in the deputy governor’s camp, such as his aides, also witnessed how he was being trailed. The deputy governor didn’t stop at that, he went to the DSS. He was there for three hours. 

 

”I think that prompted the police to invite Auxiliary for questioning. The police are looking for ways to further investigate the matter because the commissioner of police is working with the governor."

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[GIST] Ruling APC Party Stakeholders In Benue South Reject Alleged Imposition Of Buhari Minister's Aide As Chairman

[GIST] Ruling APC Party Stakeholders In Benue South Reject Alleged Imposition Of Buhari Minister's Aide As Chairman

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Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Benue South Senatorial District on Sunday rejected the imposition of an aide to Senator George Akume, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, as party chairman on them. 

The aide is from the same local government as the outgoing chairman, Mr. Abba Yaro, who held the position for three years in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and eight years in the APC (11 years in total). 

George Akume

This is contained in a communique of the expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the district signed by Mr Ameh Ebute, a member of APC’s Board of Trustees and issued to newsmen in Otukpo, Benue.

According to the communique, the meeting which was convened by Ebute resolved that rather than accept the imposition of a chairman, the stakeholders chose their consensus candidate.

It stressed that only the people of the zone should determine their political fate.

The stakeholders insisted that the zoning of the chairmanship position to Ogbadibo Local Government Area was unacceptable.

They added that they would not allow anyone outside the district, popularly known as “Zone C’’ to pick candidates for them.

The communique said, “Benue Zone C APC stakeholders hereby set aside the earlier proposal made by the Chief John Ochoga-led zoning committee, describing the decision of the committee as unjust and lacking in all the basic ingredients of democracy.

“After extensive consultations with the various representatives from the nine local government areas and the observers at the meeting, a consensus was reached that the state’s chairmanship position of the party be zoned to Apa/Agatu."

The stakeholders zoned the position of Zonal Chairman to Obi/Oju, State Treasurer to Otukpo, and Zonal Youth Leader also to Otukpo.

They zoned the position of Assistant Publicity Secretary to Ohimini; Assistant State Secretary and Women Zonal Leader to Okpokwu; Assistant Youth Leader to Agatu; Assistant Legal Adviser to Ado; Welfare Secretary to Ogbadibo and Ex-officio to Obi/Oju.

They also called on Akume, the party leader in Benue, to display equity and fairness by putting the party together at the state level before doing so at the national level.

“The meeting resolved that the National Chairmanship ambition of Senator Akume would only receive the unanimous support of stakeholders from Benue Zone ‘C’, on the condition that he distances himself from the issue of zoning of the state’s executive positions in Benue South.

“If Senator Akume decides to reverse the decisions reached at this meeting, the party stakeholders from Benue South would feel free to throw their weight behind any national chairmanship aspirant of their choice.

“Hence, if Senator Akume desires the support of the Benue South people, he should fix the party in the state, and reposition it to win the 2023 gubernatorial (governorship) election and other sensitive elective positions.

“If Senator Akume is unable to manage the crisis in the party in Benue State, then he is certainly not qualified to lead the party at the national level.

“We, therefore, enjoin Akume to ensure that justice, fairness and equity reign in the party in Benue South.

“For as long as acts of undemocratic imposition of candidates within the party in the state persists and is condoned, the Benue South people will not support his ambition for the national chairmanship,’’ it stated.

Mr Daniel Onjeh, a senatorial aspirant, and former Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbe, among others were at the meeting. 

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[GIST] Thugs From Oyo Transport Union Attack Peoples Democratic Party Congress, Destroy Over 100 Vehicles

[GIST] Thugs From Oyo Transport Union Attack Peoples Democratic Party Congress, Destroy Over 100 Vehicles

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Over 100 vehicles were destroyed by thugs suspected to be members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Oyo State on Saturday when they attacked the venue of a parallel congress organised by aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party.

A member of the PDP, Omolaja Alao, was cut with matchet by the suspected political thugs at the main entrance of the venue of the congress.

Some of the damaged vehicles

SaharaReporters learnt that some journalists also narrowly escaped an attack by the hoodlums who arrived at Jogor centre, the venue of the Congress in a white bus.

According to witnesses, the attackers started destroying the windscreens of vehicles parked by the roadside from the Ring Road axis of the road to Liberty Road before entering the motor park of the halls.

SaharaReporters gathered that about 76 buses hired to convey members of the party were also vandalised.

It took the intervention of the backup of security agencies in the state before the attackers were chased out of the area and one of them was arrested.

Speaking with reporters after the incident, a leader of the aggrieved members of the party, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeniyan, described the attack as unfortunate and unexpected.

He appealed to aggrieved members of the party not to take law into their hand, saying the leaders would take necessary steps to address the issue.

"This is unfortunate and uncalled for. We were safe as opposition even during the era of the late Senator Abiola Ajobi as the governor. Why all this?” he asked.

A leader of the party in the Ibadan North Local Government Area, Gboyega Akiola, said he could identify one of the attackers, Idrisu Ado, as a member of the motor park management in the state.

He said, “We know ourselves. They almost killed me before the gate was shut behind them. I was behind the man that was cut with matchets but because I am still young and strong, they couldn't hit me. But it is better for the governor to call his co-travellers to order, else, the state won't accommodate us all.”

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