July 14, 2022

[GIST] Gunmen Kill Former Bauchi Governor, Adamu Mu’azu’s Nephew, Abduct Three Family Members

[GIST] Gunmen Kill Former Bauchi Governor, Adamu Mu’azu’s Nephew, Abduct Three Family Members

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Gunmen suspected to be Islamic terrorists have reportedly killed 25-year-old Mu’azu Danladi, a relation of ex-Governor Adamu Mu’azu at Boto village in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

Danladi was reportedly killed by the terrorists in the early hours of Wednesday when they invaded the residence of Mu’azu’s family members.

The terrorists who were said to have targeted the former governor's children also abducted three relations during the attack which took the villagers by surprise.

Among the abductees, according to Daily Trust are - Hajiya Asma’u Alhaji Adamu, the younger sister of the ex-governor, Malama Halima Abdullahi and one Nura.

An eyewitness, Hashimu Abubakar Boto, who narrated the incident said, “The gunmen came around 1 am and went straight to the house where my brother used to sleep. They broke the gate and started asking him where the ex-governor’s children or grandchildren were? They searched the house but couldn’t find anyone, that was how they shot him in the head and abducted three family members.”

The mother of the deceased person, Hajiya Sa’adatu Adamu Mua’zu, described her son as kind, obedient and religious.

The grieving mother said, “My son was kind, obedient and religious. He focused on his daily activities; he didn’t involve himself in any fights with his brothers and neighbours.

“My last encounter with him was last night when he showed me the picture of his sister who is studying in Uganda and asked me about his Sallah meat, that was my last moment with him.”

Auwalu Abdullahi Adamu, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth leader at Kardam B Ward, whose mother is one of the abductees, said he was sleeping in his house when he heard gunshots.

Umar Adamu Mua’zu, younger brother of the ex-governor, said the kidnappers first went to the house of his elder brother, Abdurrashid Adamu Mua’zu, thinking he was there for Sallah.

He said the kidnappers had not contacted family members for ransom, disclosing that all the phone numbers of the victims were switched off.

The Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters on the telephone, said the command was working to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.

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[GIST] Traders Count Losses As Fire Destroys Ebonyi Market

[GIST] Traders Count Losses As Fire Destroys Ebonyi Market

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Fire has razed down a section of Eke Market, a major market in Afikpo town, Afikpo North local government of Ebonyi State.

The inferno which reportedly occurred on Tuesday evening destroyed several shops and goods worth millions of naira. The cause of the fire according to Vanguard was not yet known. Meanwhile, traders have been counting their losses.

SaharaReporters gathered that the Ebonyi State Fire Service Unit in Afikpo could not mobilise to put out the raging fire because its equipment was reportedly not functional.

The Executive Chairman of Afikpo North Local Government Area, Oby Oko Enyim arrived at the scene of the incident at about 6:35 am on Wednesday.

Enyim sympathised with the victims and expressed confidence that there was hope for them despite the tragedy.

Enyim who was taken around the scene of the fire disaster by the Chairman of Afikpo Market Traders Association, AMATA, Omezue Johnson Inya Oka described the incident as pathetic.

Meanwhile, Lilian Ngozi Eziuloh, member representing Afikpo North East Constituency, Ebonyi State House of Assembly also sympathised with the victims of the fire outbreak.

“I sympathise with victims of Afikpo fire outbreak that took place at Eke Market Motor Park at about 10 pm on 12th July 2022. With a sincere heart filled with sympathy and empathy knowing full well the consequences of this disaster on those directly affected, I pray you shall recover all you have lost in Jesus’ name Amen.

“To Afikpo youths who volunteered to quench the fire amidst the intensity and absence of Fire service at the time they were most needed, God will reward you here on Earth and in Heaven for your contribution in communal and selfless service to save humanity," she said. 

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[GIST] Lawyers File Bail Application For Take-It-Back Coordinator, Aghogho, Illegally Arrested By Police Over Call For Probe Into Child Trafficking Case In Delta

[GIST] Lawyers File Bail Application For Take-It-Back Coordinator, Aghogho, Illegally Arrested By Police Over Call For Probe Into Child Trafficking Case In Delta

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Lawyers supported by Legal Aid, Citizens Gravel Foundation for Social Justice have filed a bail application for the release of Delta State Take-It-Back Coordinator, Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho from prison.

The bail application dated 27th June 2022 was filed on 1st July 2022 at the Registry of the Federal High Court, Warri.

Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho

In the suit numbered FHC/WR/CS/51/2022, the lawyers demanded the release of Aghogho from Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre (Prison).

The court document read, “Grounds for the Relief(s) sought are (1) On or about the 8th day of June 2022, the Applicant was remanded at Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre (Prison) by the Order of P. U. Nsolo (Mrs) of the Magistrate Court 1 sitting at Asaba on the guise of holding charge pursuant to sections 293 and 294 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) of Delta State. (2) By the said sections of the ACJL, the order made on or about 8/6/2022 has a lifespan of 14 days and was unprofessionally extended to 8/6/2022 by P.U Nsolo (Mrs) on 24/6/2022 without the court sitting.

“(3) The Order has expired since on 24/6/2022 and there is no valid order of court extending the remand order since the Court did not sit. (4) That to date, the Delta State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Efe Odogwu Jesin Odogwu has failed to and /or file any charge against the Applicant (Aghogho) if she wishes to prosecute the Applicant.

“(5) This Court has the power to release the Applicant on the circumstance on bail pending the DPP advice or prosecution (if any). (6) The applicant is an asthmatic patient and needs to be released so he can properly treat himself. (7) The applicant is innocent of the offence with which he is being accused of and ought to be granted bail unconditionally. The applicant is ready to stand trial at any time if called upon to do so.”

The case is yet to be fixed for hearing

The activist had been at loggerheads with the police in the state after he protested the lack of police vehicles for an investigation involving child trafficking.

He specifically accused the Assistant Inspector General, Zone 5 Benin, Lawan Tanko Jimeta of compromising an ongoing child trafficking investigation involving Delta State Government officials, police officers, and a retired chief judge among others.

In a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Baba Usman, the activist alleged that Jimeta tried everything possible to frustrate investigations into the case, urging the IGP to caution the AIG “if he the IGP is not part of the deal as officers in the zone boast about".

He was on June 6, 2022, arrested in commando style not befitting the Nigeria Police Force.

Legal News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
[GIST] Founding APC Member, Yahaya-Kwande Dumps Party, Says Party Has No Regard For People Outside Realm Of Power

[GIST] Founding APC Member, Yahaya-Kwande Dumps Party, Says Party Has No Regard For People Outside Realm Of Power

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Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, who served as a two-term member of the House of Representatives, representing Bassa/Jos North Federal constituency of Plateau State, has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kwande was among the founding members of the party in 2013 and was an active member of the 'Change Movement' during the 2015 election.

He made this announcement in a letter dated July 4, 2022 and addressed to his ward chairman, saying the ruling party has considered him an outcast because he is not within the realm of power.
He also wished the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, well in the 2023 election.
His resignation letter read, “It is with a heavy heart that I write to formally notify you of my decision to resign my membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the recent events has (sic) left me feeling like an outcast and it seems that the party has no regard or use for those outside the corridor of power. 
“However, I wish to sincerely state here that I hold no ill feelings, resentment or grudges against anyone or group of individuals. I sincerely appreciate the party Executives at the Ward, Local, State and National level for their support and the opportunity to serve.
“I wish all the APC flag bearers, especially H.E Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda who I both hold in high esteem best of luck ahead of the 2023 general elections.”


Yahaya-Kwande was a member, House of Representatives 7th and 8th Assemblies, Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, Plateau State.
In February, Yahaya-Kwande and Aku who resigned as Plateau Commissioner for Commerce and Industry to contest for the seat, claimed victory in the APC primaries for Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency.
The primaries to determine who would fly the party’s flag in the February 26 by-election organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ended without a winner.
 
“From the results as collated, Suleiman Kwande scored 344 votes while Mr Abe Aku also scored 344 votes. We will relay the outcome to the national secretariat of APC to take the next decision," the Chairman of APC Electoral Committee for the primaries, Mr Habu Ajiya, had said.
Hence, Yahaya-Kwande expressed disappointment with the outcome of the election, saying that in the first instance, the election started far behind schedule for inexplicable reasons.
“I don’t know how it will be a tie. As far as I am concerned, I won fair and square.


“I know what I was up against, I know the forces that were against me and I was ready for them.
“I entered the election as a free citizen, nobody can coerce me to do what I want to do or do what I don’t want to do.
This made some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Bassa//Jos North federal constituency appeal to the national secretariat of the party, asking it to declare Yahaya-Kwande as the winner of its 1st/2nd February 2022 primary election.
But eventually, the party gave the ticket to Mr Abe Aku. 
Meanwhile, the candidate of the PDP, Musa Avia Agah won the bye-election held on Saturday 26, February 2022, having scored 40, 343 to beat the PRP candidate, Muhammad Alkali who scored 37, 757 votes and Abe Aku of the ruling APC scored 26, 111 votes.

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
[GIST] Nigeria, Choose Your Poison, By Cheta Nwanze

[GIST] Nigeria, Choose Your Poison, By Cheta Nwanze

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In an ideal situation, a Muslim-Muslim ticket or a Christian-Christian ticket should not be a problem if the two candidates on the ticket are good. But having said that, Nigeria is far from ideal, and the current Nigeria is) very different from the Nigeria of 1993 where Abiola and Kingibe were clearly heads and shoulders above Toga and Ugoh. That Nigeria was also a more forgiving place when you consider that said Sylvester Ugoh was, just over a quarter of a century before, the Governor of the Bank of Biafra, but that is a digression.
 
The Nigeria of today is a hateful place that is coming out of two terms of 97% and 5% division, where it has been made clear that if you are Igbo, or you are a Northern Christian, you do not belong. How else do we explain sermons such as this: https://bit.ly/3REhelI?
 
Hausa is a widely spoken language, so translations shouldn't be in short supply.
 
How else do you explain that people like Danladi Umar, Remi Tinubu, Abu Malami tarred an entire ethnic group with what is not short of hate speech, but to date have not been censured much less punished? Do you remember the Danladi Umar story? He assaulted someone, got attacked by a mob (made up of Northerners) and in order to deflect from what he did, labelled the mob as "Biafra boys".
 
This is what both the APC and PDP have done in this election cycle, they have further strained the already torn fabric of unity that the country has. Let's start with the PDP: the PDP's legitimacy rested on the principle of power rotation. Back in 1999, they gave this power to the South-West despite Alex Ekwueme being an early front-runner. There was an implicit agreement that power would rotate to the North after Obasanjo, then to the South-South, then back North, and then to the South-East. Then Yar'Adua died, and we were faced with a quandary. The South-South got pushed in before their expected 2015 time, and then in 2011, GEJ ran rather than "returning power to the North". It was this very action that made people like Atiku leave the PDP. Given that Atiku was crying for fairness, how then is it fair that after two terms of power in the North, when it, presumably, is the turn of the South-East, are we suddenly hearing arguments about "competence" and "that the rotation has ended" et al? Why didn't they say so in 2019? With the PDP's stance and the real prospect of a Nigerian of Fulani extraction following a Nigerian of Fulani extraction into the Villa, we would set a precedent where power rotation amongst ethnicities, which is a very important aspect of national unity in a diverse country - a sense of inclusiveness, dies. An Atiku victory next year means that there is absolutely nothing stopping an Abu Malami or a Nasir El-Rufai from trying their luck in 2027 or 2031 (if Atiku somehow serves two terms) and bringing up the same arguments that Atiku has used now. After all, a precedent has been set.
 
For the APC, the party has, in a time of religious frayed nerves around the country and pandered to an extreme section of the argument. That section, as the video I linked to earlier shows, has made it abundantly clear that Northern Christians do not matter in the scheme of things. There is already a precedent, it was set by Kaduna. Prior to the exit of Yusuf Bantex in 2019, Kaduna had an uneasy arrangement where a Muslim is the governor and a Christian is the deputy. El-Rufai shattered that when he picked Hadiza Balarabe to succeed Bantex, and now, Sani Uba, El-Rufai's anointed successor, has gone ahead to pick a Muslim as his running mate. Essentially, Christians in Kaduna have been relegated from de facto second-class citizens to de jure second-class citizens. This is what will happen if the Tinubu-Shettima alliance wins next year. In 2027 or 2031, a Northern Muslim candidate will pick a Southern Muslim as his running mate and couch his choice in the idea of "competence" and it would be set in stone going forward. That is what precedent achieves. Now ask yourself this question - will anyone in Muslim Northern Nigeria accept a Christian-Christian candidacy for the presidency?
 
As for the Peter Obi candidacy, my earlier argument about Mr Obi's ethnic nationality still stands: https://bit.ly/3kGS0Uh. You can see it in the attempts by supporters of both major parties to tie him to IPOB and link him with Biafra and separatism despite the fact that no record exists anywhere of him being tied to that agitation.
 
It is ironic when you consider that multiple streams of innuendo have linked Kashim Shettima with Boko Haram, yet it didn't matter. I still maintain that an Igbo man succeeding the disaster that Buhari has been would bring problems for the Igbo people. Perhaps it's my paranoia as an Igbo person that was born in the decade after the War ended and grew up surrounded by people who survived the most brutal massacre of that war, and so heard all their stories http://bit.ly/2VBRloJ. Paradoxically though, in the Nigeria of today, the anti-Igbo sentiments that would certainly arise if Peter Obi wins would bring immediate problems for everyone as the country's so-called unity has been so frayed that even the regular glue of anti-Igbo sentimentality would not nearly be enough to bring the other groups together.
 
An Atiku or Tinubu victory would bring problems in four years. Problems that would probably be of a greater magnitude as they would be existential (does Nigeria belong to one ethnic group? or does it belong to one religion?) and given that both men just want to be President to fulfil lifelong ambitions and not much more, would have been built on top of four more years of rot.
 
Whichever option we choose next year, we are ****ed. The locust years of Buhari have guaranteed that. It's just for us to choose our poison. A bullet to the head? Or death by a thousand cuts.
 
Nwanze is a partner at SBM Intelligence

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[GIST] Udom Sues Electoral Body, INEC For Failing To Release Certified True Copies Of Reports For APC Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial Primary To Favour Party’s Choice Of Buhari’s Ex-Minister, Akpabio

[GIST] Udom Sues Electoral Body, INEC For Failing To Release Certified True Copies Of Reports For APC Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial Primary To Favour Party’s Choice Of Buhari’s Ex-Minister, Akpabio

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The Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Udom Ekpoudom has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission for failing to release the Certified True Copies of reports of the party’s primary despite several letters from his lawyers.
 
Udom won the primary election for Akwa Ibom North-West which was monitored by INEC officials.

However, Godswill Akpabio was declared the winner of another primary shortly after stepping down for former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu at the APC presidential primary election held in Abuja, on June 8.

Akpabio had resigned from President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to contest the presidential primaries.

Mike Igini, resident electoral commissioner (REC) of Akwa Ibom, had said the exercise which produced the former minister as a candidate wasn’t monitored by the commission.
 
Section 31 of the Electoral Act only allows for substitution when a candidate dies or when they withdraw from the race and inform INEC in writing.
 
The section reads: “A candidate may withdraw his or her candidature by notice in writing signed by him and delivered personally by the candidate to the political party that nominated him for the election and the political party shall convey such withdrawal to the commission not later than 90 days to the election.”
 
Section 29 (4) of the Electoral Act also provides that any person may apply to the Commission for a copy of the nomination form, affidavit, and any other document submitted by a candidate at an election and the Commission shall, upon payment of a prescribed fee, issue such person with a certified copy of the document within 14 days.
 
In a suit filed by his lawyers at the Federal High Court, Udom asked the court to compel INEC to avail him of all the documents. Joined in the suit is the ruling party, APC.
 
The court papers read that Udom is seeking: “AN ORDER directing the 2nd Defendant to produce certified true copies of the following documents and avail the plaintiff/applicant with the same at or before the hearing of the substantive suit. viz
 
“The official report of the Commission (INEC) of the primary election of the All Progressives Congress for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District for the 2023 General Election.
 
“The letter/form of the All Progressives Congress submitting the name of the party’s candidate for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District for the 2023 General Election.
 
“INEC Timetable and Schedule of activities for 2023 General Elections. AND FOR SUCH FURTHER ORDER (S) this Honorable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.”
 
SaharaReporters on Thursday, June 23, 2022, reported that aggrieved members of APC had accused INEC of failing to release the Certified True Copies of reports of the party’s primaries despite several letters from their lawyers.
According to them, the Electoral Party Monitoring (EPM) and legal departments of INEC refused to issue the CTC of the primary elections monitored by the electoral body to enable them to proceed to court to challenge the removal of their names from the list submitted by the APC leadership.
 
 
“The Independent National Electoral Commission Electoral Party Monitoring and legal departments are as usual frustrating aggrieved party members of the APC in particular and other individuals whose lawyers have applied for CTC of the election monitored by INEC to enable them to proceed to court to challenge the removal of their names from the list submitted to INEC,” a lawyer representing one of the aggrieved members had said.


“The report of the primary election of Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Godswill Akpabio and other people of interest to some leaders of APC are not being released by the EPM and legal even when the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu has directed. However, he does not check if his directive has been carried out typical of a civil servant because of vested interest.
“The commission is now engaging in a hide-and-seek game despite the public declaration of abdication of its power to reject candidates that didn't participate in primaries.


“An umpire in total disregard of the sanctity of its role as an independent umpire has embarked on a policy of deliberate delay in issuing certified true copies of reports of the commission necessary for litigants to approach the courts.
“Our sources in INEC and investigations show that this is in connivance with powerful individuals in the APC who already bought their ways in the commission in order to frustrate the course of justice. Shamefully all of this is happening under the direct watch of the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. There is no gain saying that if this ugly development is not urgently arrested, it portends a great threat to our already faltering democracy.”
 
There have been controversies surrounding the names of some candidates who contested the presidential elections like the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, and Akpabio, whose names resurfaced on the senatorial list even though they were not the winners of their senatorial primaries.
 
Bashir Machina had won the party’s ticket for Yobe North Senatorial District, while Udom Ekpoudom won the primary for Akwa Ibom North-West which was monitored by INEC officials.


For Lawan, Machina had insisted he would not step down for the senate president.

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July 12, 2022

[Pre save] "Why I have same release date with Omah lay is undisclosed - Nigerian Afrobeat Sensation - Kingsmart

[Pre save] "Why I have same release date with Omah lay is undisclosed - Nigerian Afrobeat Sensation - Kingsmart

  

[Pre save] "Why I have same release date with Omah lay is undisclosed - Nigerian Afrobeat Sensation - Kingsmart

The promising northern afrobeat star “Kingsmart” is set to release his first Studio debut Ep titled “Where are we heading tonight - The Ep” on July 15th made up of 5 songs the same day with Omah Lay’s Album Boy Alone. The reason behind having the same release date with Omah Lay is still undisclosed. The tracks are “Tems , Thief in the night, Savage, Money Matters, and Balling. 


TO PRESAVE🔥 NEW EP BY KINGSMART

CLICK HERE


1-. Which song on the EP means the most to you personally and why?


Tems was recorded for the love of afrobeats and big thanks to Tems and all leading vibes Team for being an inspiration for my music.

[Pre save] "Why I have same release date with Omah lay is undisclosed - Nigerian Afrobeat Sensation - Kingsmart


2-Who is your favorite artist ?

“Tems got the energy and vibes i needed , Her melody, and the work she put in , keeps me moving anytime am stuck She stayed true to her art indeed one of the afrobeats legend in history.


TO PRESAVE🔥 NEW EP BY KINGSMART

CLICK HERE

3- How would you describe your musical style?

My musical style is versatile, if I had to give it a name it would be simply ‘kingsmart’.

I am a huge Afrobeats and R&b lover. I also love pop, and dancehall music. Of course I grew up on R&B but I felt it was important on this EP to show the world the Afrobeats sides of me.

[Pre save] "Why I have same release date with Omah lay is undisclosed - Nigerian Afrobeat Sensation - Kingsmart


4- What’s coming up next for you?

Maybe a music video, I have to shoot at least one visual for this EP.


TO PRESAVE🔥 NEW EP BY KINGSMART

CLICK HERE


5- Alright, now tell us why the EP is called “Where Are We Heading Tonight”

I titled the EP “Where Are We Heading Tonight” in reference to how I see myself and where I want to go in life. This entire EP came out of passion and love. Every song on this EP sheds light on things that I’ve actually experienced in life. I am a loner type so hopefully after this Ep it will be a tour so I can get to meet up with different people and mingle.



KEEP UP WITH KINGSMART VIA THESE SOCIAL handles



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