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#EndSARS: Releasing Panel Report Publicly Was Wrong – Defence Chief

The Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has faulted the procedure adopted in the release of the report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution For Victims Of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters.

Speaking after a courtesy visit to Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, the Defence Chief said the report ought to have been submitted to the convening authority.

“I am sure those of you in the media must have seen a report that was released through, in my view, a wrong channel, that is making the rounds in the social media,” the CDS said.

“Whether it is a true report, I can’t tell. But I’d like to indicate that the normal procedure is to have such a report submitted to the convening authority. And then there will be a white paper that will be presented, based on which one can make informed comments.”

General Irabor also stated that the Nigerian armed forces are committed to their constitutional mandate and would not engage in ignoble acts as alleged in the report.

“I’d like to indicate that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is a professional armed force. We are peopled by Nigerians and we remain committed to the constitutional mandate. So we will not at this point think that Nigerians should make disparaging remarks regarding the Armed Forces of Nigeria, in the sense that we are a professional armed forces. If there are issues, of course, we address them within the ambit of the provisions.

“It would not be right to disparage men and women who have worked so hard to ensure that the territorial integrity of this nation is kept intact. So in the meantime, until I see the full extent of the report.

“I can assure that the Armed Forces of Nigeria are well-disciplined and we do not engage in any ignoble acts. If Nigerians do not trust us, then we won’t be doing what we are doing, and in any case, it is the Armed Forces of Nigeria; we are not talking of the police. So when the Armed Forces are called out, it is because there is a need; there is no one who doesn’t desire to live in peace.

“We need to understand that the Armed Forces are there to keep the peace, to provide the ambiance that will enable each Nigerian to live his or her desires in peace and harmony. So let us not make inciting comments that will put the entire space on fire. That’s not right.”

Recall that the panel alleged that operatives of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force shot directly at unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in October 2020, with the aim to kill them.

The panel likened what played out at Lekki to a “massacre” resulting in 48 casualties – 11 deaths and 37 others who sustained gunshot injuries, missing presumed dead, injured, assaulted.

Popular Instagram Comedian, Cute Abiola Declared Missing

Popular Instagram comedian, Ahmed Gafar, known as The Cute Abiola has been declared missing.

This was made known by a fellow comedian, Mr Macaroni on Tuesday evening.

Mr Macaroni shared the news on Twitter and also attached a Whatsapp message he received.

From the message, it was alleged that the last time Cute Abiola’s wife and associates heard from him was on November 15.

While it was stated that no one has heard from him since then, it was also alleged that he was locked up in a Nigerian navy cell and nobody knows the offence he committed.

The message read; “Ahmed Gafar is popularly known as The Cute Abiola left his house for office at Navy Town at 06:00Am on the 15th November, 2021 and got to the office at about 07:00am or thereafter. While he got to the office, he called his wife and associates that he had gotten to the office.

“Subsequently, his wife and other associates have made several attempts to contact him but to no avail. Since he last communicated with his wife and associates that he already got to the office, he has not returned to his family and no one has heard from him till this moment.

“It was subsequently gathered from a reliable source that he has been locked up in the Nigerian Navy cell since he got to the office yesterday morning till the time of posting this information without being fed and no date has been stated for his release from custody.

“The most frustrating part is that nobody is talking anything as to the offense he has committed, but that he’s been detained on an order from the Nigerian Navy Headquarters.

“This unfortunate situation has rendered his wife emotionally tortured and traumatized as the Cute Abiola is an Ulcer patient. Hence, not feeding an Ulcer patient as punishment for an undisclosed offense is something to be worried about with the view to avoiding unnecessary circumstance with regards to the health of The Cute Abiola”

LekkiTollGate Shooting: Shehu Sani Reacts To #EndSARS Panel Findings

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani has reacted to the findings and conclusion of the Lagos State judicial panel on police brutality cases and the shooting of protesters at Lekki toll gate.

Naija News had reported earlier that the panel Chairperson, Justice Doris Okuwobi (rtd) delivered two reports to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the State Secretariat in Ikeja on Monday.

Sanwo-Olu had stated, after receiving the report, that it will be submitted to the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Naija News understands that the Lagos #EndSARS panel in its reports indicted the Nigeria Police Force in the October 20, 2020 incidents that caused a commotion in the country.

In the report titled, ‘Report Of Lekki Incident Investigation of 20th October 2020’, the panel claimed that the police officers who were at the tollgate physically assault unarmed protesters.

The panel’s report added that the assault of Nigerian youths at the Lekki toll gate led to injuries and deaths.

The panel also accused the police of attempted cover-up of the shooting of protesters at Lekki tollgate by picking up bullets at the scene of the incident.

Reacting to the outcome of the panel that has received commendations from citizens, Shehu Sani in a post on his Twitter account, said those that have been in denial of the Lekki massacre can now bury their shame.

He said they should accept the fact that they tried all possible means to cover up the truth of the incidents.

The former lawmaker tweeted: “The doubters and deniers of the #LekkiMassacre should simply and humbly step out of their bubble of falsehood and accept the fact that they attempted to cover up corpses with Roses.”

Sani wrote in another post: “It’s like People are holding Cutlasses and sticks and looking for those who denied Lekki Massacre”

FG Denies Abandoning Late Itunu In Cote d’Ivoire Prison, Demands Autospy

The Nigerian Government has denied abandoning one Itunu Babalola from Oyo State to die in a prison in Cote d’Ivoire.

It also called for full investigation into the circumstances leading to her death.

Reports of her demise went viral on Monday and Nigerians took to Twitter to vent their anger on the federal government over alleged negligence.

The Chairman Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the government followed up on the case even though she was convicted and sentenced by the host country’s judiciary

Dabiri-Erewa’s reaction was contained in a statement issued by the Commission’s Head of Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

She said that even when Babalola contracted an illness, it was Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in the country that paid for her medical bills, aside making part payment to a lawyer to appeal her conviction.

“The staff of the Nigeria mission had also visited Itunu in prison, a distance of over four hours from Abidjan.

“While the appeal case was on , Itunu was said to have complications from diabetes and was rushed to the hospital.

“The fees for the treatment was paid by the Nigerian mission through the lawyer whose services were engaged by the mission; unfortunately, she died suddenly after a few days of admission at the Hospital.

“The Federal government of Nigeria has demanded for full autopsy on the sudden and mysterious death of Ìtùnú Babalola, a Nigerian, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in Côte Divoire for alleged human trafficking.

“Her death, will however, not stop the appeal in court in order to vindicate her of the charges against her,” NIDCOM had stated.

THE WHISTLER reported that the NIDCOM in conjunction with the Nigeria Mission in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, had on March 19, 2021 confirmed that Babalola from Oyo State was wrongfully held in a prison in that country after she was said to have reported a theft incident at her apartment to the country’s police in 2019.

Foreign Rice Sold In Nigerian Market Not Good For Human Consumption–Finance Minister

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, has claimed that the foreign rice smuggled into the Nigerian market is not good for human consumption.

Ahmad made the claim during a recent interview monitored by THE WHISTLER.

The minister while commenting on the gains of the Anchor Borrowers Programme which has gulped over N554.61bn also said Nigeria has become self sufficient in rice production.

Ahmed said, “We forget that we were importing rice into the country using foreign exchange that could be used for other things to import rice.

“So, the major benefit of the Anchored Borrowers Programme is that we are now actually all feeding ourselves with Nigerian rice and that is a huge achievement.

“We have become self-sufficient in rice production, we have also reached our target in maize production. We are still lagging behind in wheat production.

“Price of rice, which is the major staple consumed in the country, has been high. A bag sells for as high as N30,000.

“Unfortunately there’s a lot of distortion and the distortion is arising from smuggling of goods into the country, we have unpatriotic Nigerians that will bring rice that is poor quality, some of it not even fit for human consumption and come and dump it into the market making it problematic for the millers that are processing rice in the country to sell their own healthy high quality rice.

“In some cases, smugglers are even getting the rice for free, they rebag it and they bring it and sell it at a very low price making it problematic for the made in Nigeria rice.”

She said Nigerians have to understand that the imported rice is “rice that is classified not fit for human consumption in some countries and we have people that are unpatriotic enough to get it, bring it into our country and sell it for consumption.”

The minister said the market distortion does not mean that the commodity is not sufficient in the market.

She said “We don’t want a situation where we are subsidizing food, because we don’t want to create another subsidy. We are already battling with fuel subsidies. We are trying to exit it and it is a big problem.

“What we are doing is subsiding, encouraging and supporting the production of fertilizer. The Ministry of Agriculture is working towards bringing quality inputs and also they have research institutions that are developing quality inputs.

“Once we get the price of the input right, the price of fertilizer right, then it will reduce the high cost.”

Breaking: Dangote Dies At 64 After Battling Terminal Disease

Nigerian businessman and multi-investor, Sani Dangote has been confirmed dead.
Reports reaching Naija News at this time confirmed that the younger brother of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote died after battling a terminal disease.

It was gathered that the Vice President of Dangote Group and a two-time President of Lagos Polo Club reportedly gave up the ghost at a United States of America hospital on Sunday evening, November 14.

Confirming Dangote’s demise in a short announcement on Sunday night, the Dangote group wrote: “INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHI RAJIUN! It is with a heavy heart but with total submission to Almighty Allah that we announce the passing on of our Group Vice President, Alhaji Sani Dangote today 14th November 2021.

“May Allah SWT Grant him mercy and Admit him in Aljannat-al-Firdaus “!

The deceased before his death, hold major investments in key sectors of the economy including manufacturing, agriculture, banking, and oil services.

Dangote had sat on the board of several other companies, including Nigerian Textile Mills Plc, Nutra Sweet Limited, Gum Arabic Limited, Dangote Textile Mills Limited, Alsan Insurance Brokers, Dan-Hydro Company Limited, Dansa Food Processing Company Limited and Dangote Farms Limited.

The deceased was also a two-time President of Lagos Polo Club in addition to being a professional polo player.

He was also appointed as the Consul-General of the Romanian Embassy in Nigeria in recognition of his sterling leadership qualities.

Ndume Reveals How General Was Killed, Says ISWAP Regrouping In Lake Chad Axis

Senator Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South) has revealed that fighters of the Islamic State in West Africa Province, ISWAP, rammed a bomb-laddened car into the convoy of Brig-Gen. Dzarma Zirkusu.

Naija News had earlier reported that Brigadier-General Dzarma Zirkusu, a Commander of the Army’s Special Forces was killed by ISWAP terrorists in an ambush attack which also resulted in the death of other soldiers.

The terrorists had launched an attack against a military base in Askira/Uba LGA of Borno State.

Though troops of Joint Task Force, North East ‘Operation Hadin Kai’ also killed several of ISWAP terrorists during the clash that ensued, some military operatives paid the supreme price in the defence of their nation.

The incident was confirmed in a statement to newsmen by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu.

Speaking to newsmen on Sunday while reacting to the attack, Ndume, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, said the late General Zirkusu had become a problem for the terrorists group hence their need to take him out.

According to the controversial lawmaker, ISWAP fighters are regrouping in Borno North, which is the Lake Chad axis.

He stated that the Nigerian Army have been able to take out top commanders of the Boko Haram faction in recent times.

Ndume, however, pointed out that the intensity of the attack on Askira was worrisome, urging other security agencies to give the Nigerian Army the needed support.

“I want to express my condolences to the Nigerian Army over the death of the General who died along Chibok road,” Ndume said.

“ISWAP terrorists attacked a town there. They know that the General was the major obstacle to their operation. They laid an ambush and rammed a bomb-laddened car into his vehicle.

“He was a gallant soldier. He took the fight to the terrorists. His death has sent panic to people in that area.

“I am aware that some people around that Chibok area have started thinking of relocating.

“Some want to go to Mubi and other places. We are trying to urge them to remain there. The insurgency is coming to an end.

“This is not the end, but the beginning of the end of terrorists. I know that the Army has what it takes to take the fight to them.

“There is a need to urge other security agencies to give the Army the needed support. We also need to urge vigilante groups to assist them.

“For now, we will assume that it was an isolated case. But the intensity with which they came is worrisome.

“They came with more than 10 gun trucks. They are also regrouping around Borno North. That’s the Lake Chad axis.

“The military is aware and the Air Force is providing surveillance in the area. It was a revenge mission. The Army has been taking out key ISWAP commanders and they had their revenge.

“Last week, for instance, they abducted relatives of the Emir of Askira. They also abducted some passengers along that road. If the Army sustains the temple, we will win this insurgency.

“The equipments are arriving gradually. We are monitoring. As a committee, we will go and see what had been brought into the country.

“This is an improvement. The Army is very rapid in responding. The Army is involved in about 33 states now. They’re under pressure.”

Sudan army general establishes ruling council with no civilian majority

Sudan’s army commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has created a new ruling sovereign council with lawmakers from the main bloc seeking a transfer to civilian authority excluded.

According to state media, al-Burhan will continue to chair the council while Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, chief of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, will serve as deputy.

Witnesses say anti-coup protestors in the east of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, responded to al-Burhan’s actions by blocking highways and burning tyres. According to images shared on social media, similar demonstrations took place in other sections of the city.

Sudan’s deposed Information Minister, Hamza Balloul, claimed the declaration was a continuation of the coup, and he was convinced the Sudanese people would reject it.

“Burhan and his council’s decisions apply only to themselves, they have no legitimacy and will be met only with contempt and resistance,” said the Sudanese Professionals Association, a protest group.

The move happened more than two weeks after the army disbanded the sovereign council and civilian cabinet and imposed a state of emergency.

The international community strongly criticised the power grab, with the United Nations, Western nations, and Gulf states demanding the return of a civilian-led administration. Since then, national and international attempts to settle the conflict have been underway, while pro-democracy protestors have organised rallies condemning the coup.

The new action by al-Burhan was seen as “very concerning” by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who said that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wished to “see a return to the transition as quickly as possible”.

Source: Politics Nigeria

Ugwuanyi Assures Support for Woman Whose Son was Killed by Husband for Money Ritual

The Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has assured Mrs. Augustina Ifebuchechukwu Eze, whose seven-year-old son was allegedly killed by her husband, Chidi Onyishi, for money ritual that the state government will do everything within its power to ensure that she and her children do not suffer.

Speaking when he led a delegation from Ugwuanyi to commiserate with the mourning woman and her children, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Steve Oruruo, stated that the state government will stand vigorously behind them to overcome the shock and mitigate their suffering.

Oruruo who disclosed that the governor was saddened by the news of the unfortunate incident, condoled with the woman and her children and prayed for the repose of the slain child’s soul, stressing that the act perpetrated by the father of six (her husband) was “unimaginable and unthinkable by all standards.”

Consoling Mrs. Eze and her children, Oruruo who presented Ugwuanyi’s initial cash donation to them for interim upkeep said: “We want to reassure you that the state government will stand vigorously behind you and mitigate the suffering of your kids and contribute immensely to your recovery from this shock.

“And it is the wish of the government to use all legal means to ensure that there is diligent investigation and that the course of justice cannot be subverted. The government is poised not to allow it to be truncated. “Everything that needs to be done will be done by Enugu State Government to ensure that you find justice and overcome this challenge.

“Our governor is a good-minded person who is interested in your well-being and that of your children. So he has sent us to come and commiserate with you and reassure you that you will not stand alone. Government will be with you and will give you support as we pray that God will give you stronger reason to find comfort.

“The governor has delivered the sum of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000.00) to you and your kids in the interim and every other thing that should be done will be done and this interface will continue between you and the state government to ensure that you and your children are comfortable.”

Responding, Mrs. Eze, who said she was speechless at Ugwuanyi’s gesture, thanked the governor for his compassion and benevolence, explaining that she is still in shock over her son’s sudden death.

[BREAKING] Power: FG Increase prices of pre-paid meters

Beginning from Monday, November 15, 2021, Nigerians will pay an additional N13,766 and N26,829 to get single-phase and three-phase pre-paid meters from the eleven Distribution Companies, DISCOs.

According to a circular issued Friday in Abuja by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, the regulator raised the price of a single-phase meter from the current cost of N44,896.17 to a revised price of N58,661.69.

It also increased the price of a three-phase meter from the current cost of N82,855.19 to a revised rate of N109,684.36.

NERC announced the increment via a circular dated November 11, 2021, and addressed to Managing Directors, all electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs and all meter asset providers.

The circular, with reference number NERC/REG/MAP/GEN/751/2, was entitled ‘Review of the unit price of end-use meters under the Meter Asset Provider and National Mass Metering Regulations’.