Commander of Islamic police known as Hisbah in Kano State, Sheik Harun Ibn Sina, has said the outfit would quiz parents of winner of Miss Nigeria beauty contest, Shatu Garko, over her participation in the beauty pagent.
The 18-year-old beat 18 others to win the 44th edition of the Miss Nigeria beauty pageant that took place on 17 December 2021 and she was the first woman in Hijab to win the competition.
Hisbah said the reason for inviting the parents of the lady for questioning was to let them know that it is unislamic for their daughter to partake in any beauty contest.
“We (Hisbah) have confirmed that Shatu Garko is a Muslim from Kano State and her parents are from Garko Local Government Area. Kano is a Sharia state and this is why we will not allow the matter to go like that. We will invite the parents to warn them about the actions of their daughter and the fact dat what she did was illegal in Islam in case they don’t know so that she will not continue that path and also stop other girls copying her.” he told BBC News Pidgin.
An official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has been crushed to death by a truck at Sagamu-Ijebu Ode Road in Ogun, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Mr Ahmed Umar, the Sector Commander, confirmed the incident to NAN in Abeokuta on Wednesday, saying that the accident occurred on Monday.
Umar added that it was caused by the carelessness and excessive speeding by the truck driver.
“It was carelessness on the part of the driver, he was on high speed, he lost control and hit the officer.
“As officers were standing by the our patrol vehicle, a flat-body trailer hit the officer and brush him in between the truck and the patrol vehicle. The officer died while another marshal got injured,” he said.
The sector commander explained that the truck driver did not stop after hitting the officers but was chased by motorists and motorcycle riders who witnessed the incident.
“They pursued him, he stopped, left the vehicle and ran away but was arrested and we have handed him over to the police,” he said.
He noted that the injured marshal is in the hospital receiving treatment.
The National Association of Nigeria Students has said it will mobilise its members in the South-West in protest against the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the 2010 Electoral Act (Amendments) Bill 2021 into law.
The Coordinator of the NANS South-West (Zone D) Emmanuel Adegboye said this at a press conference in Ibadan on Wednesday.
The zone’s Public Relations Officer, Opeoluwa Awoyinfa and Chairman of NANS in Oyo State, Quadri Adeleke, were present at the briefing where the students association also frowned on the failure of the Senate to override the President’s veto.
The NANS coordinator said Nigerians’ right to elect political leaders coukd not be said to have been protected if the only thing they could do is to only choose between candidates that were made flag bearers of respective political parties by few men regarded as delegates.
They said Nigerians should be given the power to collectively decide the flag bearers of whatever political parties they belong
Adegboye said, ‘ The Presidency in same manner argued that the monetisation of the political system would further be entrenched as buying of votes during party primary elections will be encouraged.
Rather than laments, the Presidency should admit that its government has failed to change the economic condition of the Nigerians positively.
” Rather than curtailling the political progress entails in the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill because of this, the Presidency should rather address the economy which has made the people susceptible to selling of their votes. This, we consider as a reasonable action for a serious government.
“Basically, all other excuses given by the Presidency in the letter addressed to the National Assembly are not tenable and considered inconsequential. Rather than consenting to the institutional inadequacies of these political parties, the Presidency should rather encourage all registered political parties to go and define their party program well and build trust within their rank and file.
“We have credible information that some few principal members of the National Assembly have been offered bribes at the detriment of the Nigerian masses to dance to the tune of some cabals in the Presidency.
NANS, as an independent body for all students in Nigeria, will not fold its arms and allow this double-dealing scale the hurdles of the legislature.
” We will mobilise our members to ensure that what is supposed to be an enduring legacy of this administration is not truncated based on the interest of very few dishonest persons.
“By using your veto power to override Mr. President’s failure to sign this Bil, Nigerians and indeed posterity will never forget you all as distinguished members of the National Assembly.”
The federal government has declared Monday 27th, Tuesday 28th December 2021 and Monday, 3rd January 2022 as public holidays to mark Christmas, Boxing Day…
The federal government has declared Monday 27th, Tuesday 28th December 2021 and Monday, 3rd January 2022 as public holidays to mark Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year Day celebrations respectively.
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration on behalf of the federal government in a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, on Wednesday morning.
He felicitated with Christians and all Nigerians at home and in the diaspora on this year’s Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Aregbesola enjoined Christians to practice the doctrines of Christ, which include but are not limited to faith, hope and love.
“We must emulate the life of Jesus Christ in His practice and teachings on humility, service, compassion, patience, peace and righteousness, that His birth signifies.
“This will be the best way to portray Christ and celebrate his birth,” he noted.
He emphasized that peace and security were two critical conditions for economic development and prosperity.
He urged Christians and Nigerians to make the best use of this festive period to pray for the total eradication of insecurity bedevilling the country.
Aregbesola also charged Nigerians not to be lulled into a false sense of security on the COVID-19 pandemic but to note that it is increasingly assuming a very dangerous and harmful dimension with the emergence of a virulent variant, Omicron.
“This calls for deliberate responsibility and discipline on the part of all,” the Minister stressed.
The Minister enjoined all to adhere strictly to and observe all the stipulated non-pharmaceutical protocols and guidelines such as wearing of facemasks, frequent washing of hands with soap and water, using of hand sanitiser and avoidance of large groups.
Also, he urged quick report to medical authorities of any respiratory illness observed in self and others before, during and after the Yuletide.
Speaking further, the Minister said this Yuletide calls for spartan discipline in order to prevent the spread of the virus in communities and the nation as a whole.
“Moderately celebrate the festival without large groupings and observe all the protocols stipulated by medical authorities. Take it as a point of personal responsibility to prevent the spread of the virus,” the Minister enjoined.
Abductors of two clerics, Hussein AbdulJelil and Ilyas Muhammed Jamiu, in Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, have released their victims after collecting N2.2 million ransom.
It was gathered that the kidnappers who demanded N15 million ransom after abducting the clerics in the front of their house shortly after they returned from a public lecture, later agreed to collect N2.2million.
The kidnappers collected the ransom from the family despite the efforts of the police to arrest them.
The gunmen, numbering about five, had taken their time to eat food prepared in the house before they took their victims away on Saturday around 10pm.
Confirming their release, the older brother of one of the victims, Hussein Ibrahim, said family and friends contributed the ransom and handed it over to the hoodlums to secure the release of the clerics.
He said, “They have been released today (Tuesday) after we gave them N2.2 million as ransom.
“They initially insisted on N15 million saying they were two people, but, at the end they agreed to collect N2.2 million from us.”
The police spokesman in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he had not been briefed about the latest development.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has disclosed his intention for bandits terrorizing the state.
El-Rufai said the intention of his government is to kill all bandits in the state.
He disclosed this while speaking with State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.
The governor said he does not believe in rehabilitating terrorists.
El-Rufai said the only repentant bandits are those dead.
The governor said the recent declaration of bandits as terrorists has given the military more power to wage war against them.
According to El-Rufai: “There is nothing like repentant terrorists. The only repentant bandit is the one that is dead. Our intention in the state is to kill them (terrorists), let them go and see God.”
The governor also noted that the whereabouts of the bandits are not hidden.
He explained that the fear of collateral damage on civilian communities is responsible for military inaction against bandits.
Kaduna State is one of the places affected by the activities of banditry in Nigeria.
Twenty years after the murder of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka yesterday challenged the Federal Government to show the report of the investigations of the dastardly act.
In a letter to Mrs Funso Adegbola, daughter of the late Ige, Soyinka recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had pledged to open an inquiry into the spate of political murders in the country.
The letter was in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the killing of the politician, who was also the governor of old Oyo State between 1979 and 1983.
Discussants at the event tagged: ”Ige Memorial Symposium”, which was held in Lagos— Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), Dr. Olu Agunloye, Bayo Aina, and Awa Bamiji — urged government to fish out those behind the killing.
Ige, popularly known as Cicero of Esa-Oke, was shot dead on December 23, 2001at his Ibadan residence, shortly after his security aides allegedly went out for a meal.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo deployed troops in the Southwest to prevent a violent reaction to the murder. He also ordered a probe of the killing, but the suspects were discharged and acquitted.
In the letter, Soyinka pointed out that unsolved crimes do not only lead to a culture of impunity, but put the nation at risk.
Lamenting that “this is a lesson that Nigerian leadership has yet to learn,” the playwright asked Buhari to “share the rewards” of his ”investigations – if any.”
The letter reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari, what has become of your robust pledge to open an enquiry into the spate of political murders that the nation has undergone in recent years?
“Does it all amount to yet another instance of political bravado? While we all accept that all lives should be valued equally, some impose a special responsibility on those in governance. Bola Ige, as the nation’s minister of justice, and United Nations’ civil servant designate was unarguably one such.
“A nation’s honour is in question and remains so until the hour of closure. Thus, she must never relent in demanding an explanation for his brutal murder, expose the perpetrators, identify the conspirators and reinstate the broken lines of justice.
“At the very least, we need a formal declaration regarding those who displayed an abnormal interest in the fates of those accused, to a level of proven, documented interference both in the investigative process and within the judiciary.
“I am not alone in having written and lectured on these sordid aspects that fuelled the subversion of justice. There are surviving witnesses.”
Akintola blamed the Nigerian factor for the inability of the government to find Ige’s killers.
He asked: “Why is it difficult to find his killers? Why is it difficult to bring his killers to book? How did our state of security degenerate to this level?”
The senior lawyer said whenever he drives past the late minister’s office in Ibadan, “ a series of unanswered questions flood” his mind.
He said: “Why was he killed? Who Killed Him? Why is it difficult to find his killers? Why is it difficult to bring his killers to book? How did our state of security degenerate to this level?
“These and many more questions trouble my mind and leave me in a perpetual state of confusion. His assassination in his home at Bodija, Ibadan was definitely the climax of assassinations in Nigeria and Africa as a whole and the foundation for various security challenges that we, as a nation, have been confronting since then and till this day.”
Agunloye, a former of Power and Steel Minister, said “the killing of Uncle Bola was brutal, senseless and barbaric, hurting and hurtful.”
He added: “As we celebrate the man who loved us with passionate commitment, let us get some basic aspects clear. The first is that Bola Ige did not kill himself. He met his killer face to face and he dealt him a fatal single shot aimed at his heart.
“Therefore, someone or some people assassinated him. God caught them in the act and God knows them but a majority of us are waiting for justice while some of them are perhaps believing that they have got away.”
Also, Aina said it is unfortunate that the killers of the late Ige are still roaming freely.
Aina, who is the secretary-general of Afenifere – Egbe Ilosiwaju, said it was imperative for Nigeria to turn a new leaf by evolving into a country where nobody can get away with murder.
His words: ”If Nigeria were to be a country where people cannot get away with murder, we would have found the killers of Bola Ige and Funsho Williams.”
Bamiji, the executive president of Bola Ige Centre for Justice, organisers of the event, said the body “won’t rest until justice is done in this most famous murder case in Nigeria and numerous others.”
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday condemned the gruesome murder of 45 farmers in Nasarawa State, describing the incident as heart-wrenching.
The President while commiserating with those injured as well as the family members of the victims, assured that his administration will continue to provide necessary security for the people of the country and their belongings.
Buhari’s message was contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.
He said the state government has responded appropriately to the incident and the federal government will do everything necessary to fish out the perpetrators.
“I assure the people with all seriousness and sensitivity that this administration is doing its best to safeguard the security of people and will leave no stone unturned in fishing out the perpetrators of this senseless and barbaric incident, and bring them to justice,” he said.
“He also expressed condolences to the government and people of the State, and expressed satisfaction with the immediate response of the State government to the incident.”
Recall Naija News earlier reported that gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have killed not less than 20 farmers and displaced 5,000 others during an attack on 12 communities in Lafia, Obi, and Awe Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State.
The President of Tiv Development Association in the state, Peter Ahemba, confirmed this on Monday.
Ahemba asserted that 20 corpses have been recovered with the support of security agencies, adding that many residents are still missing.
He advised both the state and the federal governments to protect the lives and properties of the citizens and ensure that peace returns to the affected communities.
Ahemba disclosed that affected villages include Chabo, Daar, Tse-Udugh, Ayaakeke, Kyor-Chiha, Usual, Hagher, Joor, Angwan, Ayaba, Tyungu and Ugba.
Nigeria’s First lady, Aisha Buhari has directed all her staff to proceed on leave until further notice.
The announcement was made in a statement released on the official Instagram account of the first lady and signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Office of the First Lady on Health and Development Partners, Mohammed Kamal.
He further stated that official engagements and work will continue virtually.
“This serves to inform all staff that the office of the First Lady will be closed for the upcoming festive period of Christmas and New Year.
“To this end, all staff are requested to proceed on leave, until further notice.
“Please note that official engagements and work can also continue virtually as it was done previously”
In another development, Aisha Buhari has denied social media reports that she is pregnant and expecting a baby.
Naija News reports that some pictures emerged online which has made Nigerians question if the wife of the President is pregnant.
The pictures were taken during the return of President Buhari and Aisha Buhari from Turkey where they attended the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit, hosted by Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In an interview with BBC Pidgin on Monday, spokesman of the first lady, Sulaiman Haruna, denied reports that his principal is expecting another child.
The former lawmaker representing Kogi Central district, Dino Melaye, has threatened to lead Nigerians to the streets for protest if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 into law.
Naija News had earlier reported that the President on Monday rejected the bill which was earlier passed by the National Assembly.
Buhari returned the bill to the National Assembly and asked the lawmakers to work on the clause that has to do with direct primaries and return the document for assent.
Melaye in an interview with Channels Tv on Tuesday said if the country does not get it right, everything will continue to go wrong.
He said, “If Buhari refuses to sign the electoral bill, he will know that Nigeria is not the Banana Republic. I will lead Nigerians to the streets for protest. A kind of protest you have not seen before and I am not afraid of anybody. This country belongs to all of us.
“Everything needed to revive this country is dependent on our electoral processes, once we don’t get that right, everything will continue to go wrong.
“I am for direct primary because democracy is supposed to be a government of the people by the people and for the people. Asking delegates to determine the faith of millions of people, is not democracy”.
