July 28, 2021

[GIST] Nigerian Army Bars Borno Soldiers From Travelling Over Widespread Kidnapping On Damaturu-Maiduguri Road

[GIST] Nigerian Army Bars Borno Soldiers From Travelling Over Widespread Kidnapping On Damaturu-Maiduguri Road

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The Nigerian Army has barred soldiers from travelling on the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road in Borno State over the continued rise in the abduction of its men in the area.

A source in the army shared a letter containing the directive with SaharaReporters on Tuesday.

According to the letter, approval of passes for soldiers would be put on hold till August 21.

"In view of the series or abduction of military personnel, I am directed to convey the suspension of passes till August 21," the letter read.

"I'm to add that commands should ensure their respective GI cells coordinate the movement of those on pass, either they go through the welfare flight or escorted from to Damaturu. Consequently, I am directed to respectively convey that no officers/soldiers are permitted to use public transport."

Reacting to the directive, the source who is a soldier, said it is unfortunate that he and his colleagues working hard to protect the country are at the mercy of gunmen due to a lack of appropriate measures to ensure their safety.

He wondered why politicians, who he said, have nothing to offer the country, would have private jets and bulletproof cars, while soldiers are exposed to danger.

He also decried the continued neglect of soldiers in the country, adding that the country has nothing good in stock for its citizens.

"There is heavy tension in Maiduguri generally as the military no longer has access to use the road linking Maiduguri to Damaturu. There has been the abduction of soldiers In civil vehicles since the past four days now," he told SaharaReporters.

"Even today, they abducted six people on that road, including two soldiers from 5 brigade, Damasak. That's an issue. The country is going somehow, everybody is annoyed. If the politician that has nothing to offer this country can own a private jet, soldiers that have suffered for many years, are only given the opportunity to go and see their families once a year. 

"In spite of that, when you get to Maiduguri, on your way to your destination, that's where you'll be abducted. The military does not have any good plan for us. 

"Even to provide a plane for us twice in a week to convey soldiers to their various destinations becomes another difficult thing. I don't know, is it wrong for someone to serve his country by being a soldier? So, when you become a soldier, you have rendered yourself to poverty and wretchedness.

"The politician will own private jets, bulletproof cars but those fighting a war to defend the country can't get such. In our camp, we don't even have a bulletproof car. This nation means no good for anybody. We should all know that now."

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[GIST] Presidential Villa Staff Forced To Take Oath Of Secrecy After SaharaReporters Exposed Buhari’s ‘Secret’ Visit To UK

[GIST] Presidential Villa Staff Forced To Take Oath Of Secrecy After SaharaReporters Exposed Buhari’s ‘Secret’ Visit To UK

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Staff members at the State House in Abuja have taken an oath of secrecy and warned that disclosing confidential information without authorisation will attract penalties under public service rules.

This comes a few days after SaharaReporters exclusively reported how President Muhammadu Buhari secretly planned to visit the United Kingdom to avoid rampage or any "embarrassing protest" against him.

“President Buhari is leaving for the UK tomorrow or Saturday for a 4-day programme. The secret trip has not been announced yet to avoid rampage against him in London. Recall how his last trip attracted protests in London,” a presidential source had told SaharaReporters last Friday.

Days after the report, the presidency announced the Nigeria’s President would be traveling to London to participate in the Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2021-2025.

According to Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, the summit will “provide a platform for partners to chart a way forward towards transforming education systems in partner countries, through exchange of best practices”.

Adesina said the summit will be co-hosted by Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. See Also Exclusive EXCLUSIVE: Buhari To ‘Secretly’ Visit United Kingdom 0 Comments 5 Days Ago

He added that the President will also spend some days for an earlier scheduled medical follow-up.

“After the Summit, the President will spend a few days for an earlier scheduled medical check-up. He is due back by second week of August, 2021,” Adesina said.

Embarrassed by the report, Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar on Tuesday warned that disclosing confidential information by Aso Villa staff without authorisation will attract penalties under public service rules.

According to a statement signed by the Assistant Director Information, State House, Patience Tilley-Gyado, Umar disclosed this at the administration of Oath of Secrecy and Declaration of Secrecy to 42 staff of the State House, administered by Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court. See Also Breaking News BREAKING: Buhari Presidency Orders State House Workers To Take Oath of Secrecy, Threatens Stiff Penalties 0 Comments 5 Hours Ago

Tilley-Gyadi said the Permanent Secretary explained that the oaths were administered to staff members who handle classified documents.

‘‘We discovered that due to deployment of officers and retirement a number of our staff need to be placed under the radar so that they will be aware that their jobs, the kind of documents or information they are handling from day to day and beyond, are so important and must be safeguarded.

‘‘That’s the reason we decided to do the needful by administering the Oath of Secrecy, highlighting the importance of letting them know what information they are managing and the consequences of the breach of such information,’’ Umar was quoted as saying.

Recall that the late former President, Umar Yar’Adua also forced State House staff members to swear to an oath of secrecy after SaharaReporters reported that the number one citizen was critically ill.

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[GIST] Nigeria's Anti-graft Agency Freezes Oyo Assembly's Account Over Alleged N1.3 Billion Fraud

[GIST] Nigeria's Anti-graft Agency Freezes Oyo Assembly's Account Over Alleged N1.3 Billion Fraud

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The Economic Financial and Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday froze the account of the Oyo State House of Assembly over alleged embezzlement of N1.3 billion by the Assembly members.

SaharaReporters had on July 7 reported that the EFCC invited the Speaker of the House of Assembly and other principal members of the House over some alleged fraudulent activities perpetrated in the purchase of refurbished vehicles for lawmakers.

File Photo

But a credible source in the government told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that the EFCC has frozen the bank account of the House of Assembly, as the anti-graft agency continues with its investigation.

Some of the official cars bought from the questionable fund, according to the petition to EFCC, were said to have developed mechanical faults less than six months after they were delivered to the legislators.

However, in a reaction to the allegations, the House posited that it followed due process and had nothing to hide regarding the contract.

The Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, in one of his reactions to the allegation, said the House would continue to support the EFCC and all government institutions to deepen transparency, accountability, and democracy.

An unconfirmed source at the Assembly said the EFCC is widening its net to include constituency allocation funds, running costs, and others.

The source further noted that it was in a move to widen its scope that the anti-graft agency froze the Assembly's account to prevent access to it, thereby denying the lawmakers access to funds for their monthly running cost.

The source also said the EFCC picked up some top officials of the House on Monday, July 26 in the early hours of the day and grilled them for several hours.

Some of these developments appear to have angered some lawmakers, who against their tradition to postpone plenary sitting in the Speaker’s absence, were said to have perfected plans to go ahead with Tuesday's plenary should Ogundoyin be absent.

Ogundoyin, who had jetted out to the United States of America before the Eid-el-Kabir holiday, surprisingly returned to the country before plenary and was able to preside over legislative affairs.

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[GIST] How Driver Killed Female Politician In Her Bathroom In Ibadan, Ran Away With Valuable Items

[GIST] How Driver Killed Female Politician In Her Bathroom In Ibadan, Ran Away With Valuable Items

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A female politician and landlady, Mrs Bolaji Agunbiade, has been allegedly killed inside her bathroom in Ibadan, Oyo State, by her driver, Dare Rotimi.

SaharaReporters learnt that the suspect, who hails from Ile Oluji in Ondo State, committed the act around midnight on Sunday.

It was also learnt that the slain woman was a politician at Ile Oluji, but was based in the Ologun-Eru area of Ibadan.

According to the source, the deceased politician had lived in her house in Ibadan for over three years before she was murdered. 

“There was an incident that happened to a politician in Ibadan three days ago. The woman was a native of Ile Oluji in Ondo State. We got a report that her driver killed her. She was a politician in Ile Oluji town,” the source narrated.

The daughter of the deceased, Olasedidun Elizabeth Agunbiade, who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters, said Dare used to work for her grandmother but stopped in 2018. 

She said later in 2019, he worked for her aunt in Abuja and fled after stealing her N250,000, laptop, and phones.

Elizabeth, the first child of the late Mrs Agunbiade, said Dare later showed up in Ibadan in 2020 to beg her mother for forgiveness, noting that the suspect helped with the construction of their house and had spent almost 3 months there.

"He showed up in 2020 in Ibadan to beg my mum for forgiveness. He told my mum to help him beg her sister (my aunt) for forgiveness, which my mum did. 

"It was the time my mum was building her house in Ibadan, Dare helped in building the house. After spending almost 3 months with my mum, Dare ran away again with my brother's iPad and other belongings in the house."

Elizabeth said she warned her mother not to accept his apology and let him go when Dare returned in March 2021. She said that her mum disagreed, saying she would not send Dare away if he were her son. 

"Dare came again in March to seek forgiveness. I was around at the time, I was angry and I warned my mother not to accept his apology this time and let him go. But my mum refused, saying would she send him away if Dare was her son. So I left Ibadan in anger and returned to Ondo State where I stay.

"My aunt went to see my mum in Ibadan, and my mum told Dare to leave the house because she knew that her sister could not stand him.

"Dare came back on Sunday (July 25) with a friend around 7 pm after my aunt had left. My daughter who was staying with my mum opened the door for them, and my mum welcomed them. She gave them a foam to sleep on. 

"In the morning, my daughter discovered that my mum had not come to wake her up, as usual, so she went to check on her by peeping through the window because her door was still locked, but she was not in bed. She also discovered that our television was missing and the gate was open. 

"She then raised an alarm, the neighbours came and forced the door open. My mother was found dead in the bathroom. Her hands were tied and her mouth was covered.

"We later discovered that Dare went away with our two flat-screen televisions, money, and other valuable items," she said. 

Meanwhile, the case has been reported at Eleyele Police Station, while the remains of the deceased have been taken to University College Hospital, both in Ibadan, for autopsy. 

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July 27, 2021

[GIST] Democratic Nigeria Has Never Had A Successful Treason Trial, By Aloy Ejimakor

[GIST] Democratic Nigeria Has Never Had A Successful Treason Trial, By Aloy Ejimakor

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Yes, that’s right: Since 1960, democratic Nigeria has had many treason trials without any - except for that of Obafemi Awolowo - netting a conviction or even coming close.

No other person has ever been convicted of treason or its garden varieties like treasonable felony or sedition throughout all the democratic dispensations in Nigeria.

Even when that of Awolowo resulted in conviction, it immediately brought many issues that still remotely dog Nigeria to this day.

Plus, Awo’s conviction most probably would not have happened had he not overconfidently opted for summary trial when he could have tarried awhile.

What’s more? His trial was later found to have been tainted with profound judicial bias. And in quick time, it was commuted.

Most remarkably, his conviction convulsed Nigeria to no end, especially Western Nigeria. And it ultimately contributed to the 1966 coups that directly led to the Civil War and its horrendous aftermaths.

Paradoxically, a few months after his release from prison, Awolowo became deputy to Gowon, sat astride the nation’s finances and went to the funeral of some of the politicians that had jailed him for treason.

To cap it all, in 1979, Awolowo nearly became President. You can’t beat that. And if you stretch it to the military dispensations, Obasanjo meteorically went from conviction for treason to becoming President. 

The lesson from all these are not hard to see, and they are:

First, treason is a regime-specific political offense. So, unless the trial is dubiously concluded during the life of the extant regime, it sunsets with the coming of a new regime.

Second, treason trial - if pushed too aggressively - can bring more problems than it initially set out to contain. In some climes, it led to overthrow of the very government in power.

Don’t forget that Rawlings went from being in jail for treason to overthrowing the very government that jailed him.

So, Nigeria needs to thread with caution and a keen reference to history as it ramps up on its aggressive treason trials of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Igboho and Omoyele Sowore.

When alpha patriots get so upset with the system that they begin to seek solutions in revolution or separation, you talk to them; you don’t try them. Simple!
 

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