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FG Inaugurates Committee To Prevent Torture Of Suspects By Police, Others

The Federal Government has inaugurated the National Committee Against Torture (NCAT), whose terms of reference include ensuring that education and information regarding the prohibition against torture are fully included in the training of law enforcement and public officers.

The Attorney General of the Federation (HAGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), inaugurated the Committee in Abuja in recognition of the increasing cases of torture across the country, according to a statement on Saturday made available to THE WHISTLER by NHRC Deputy Director Public Affairs, Fatimah Agwai Mohmmed.

The AGF was quoted to have said that the Committee whose secretariat will be domiciled at the NHRC, is expected to play a crucial role to stamp out torture and other related vices, and to ensure justice to survivors and victims.

On his part, the NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu SAN ) who also doubles as the alternate Chair of the Committee said the idea of NHRC hosting the Committee (Secretariat) aligns with international best practices, given that it brings credibility to the work of the Committee.

The statement further reads:

“In her remarks, the Solicitor General of the Federation and Chairperson of the NCAT, on behalf of other members commended the HAG for reconstituting the committee. She assured the AGF of the committee’s commitment to satisfactorily implement the terms of reference, particularly with respect to providing timely statutory reports as required under UNCAT and working with renewed vigour towards fighting against the scourge.

“The Chief Custodian of Human Rights in Nigeria, (Ojukwu) recalled that visits to Correctional Service facilities and other detention centres was one of the major challenges of the previous Committee, saying that leveraging on the powers of the Commission to visit such facilities will be highly beneficial to the Committee.

“The NHRC Boss emphasized the need for the Committee to collaborate with relevant MDAs, Nigerian Bar Associations and Civil Society Organizations to identify and escalate complaints of torture so as to facilitate timely redress of these cases by the Committee.

“The Committee’s Terms of Reference are “To engage and liaise with Committee Against Torture (CAT) and regional human rights mechanisms in the context of country reporting, interactive dialogue or facilitation of visits by special procedure mandate holders or the Subcommittees on the Prevention of Torture.

“To organize and facilitate the preparation of reports to CAT and regional human rights mechanisms, and of responses to communication, follow up questions and recommendations or decisions received from such mechanisms.

“To coordinate data collection and information gathering from government agencies, National Assembly and the Judiciary for the reporting and follow up.

“To foster and lead consultations for reporting and follow up with the National Human Rights Commission and Civil Society Organizations.

“To receive and consider communications on torture from individuals, CSOs and government institutions.

“To prepare quarterly briefings to the HAGF on cases of torture and propose appropriate administrative/Judicial intervention.

“Propose a review of Anti-Torture Legislation and further develop a National Anti-Torture Policy.”

Primate Ayodele Releases Fresh Prophecies On Telecommunication, Sports, Others

The Leader Of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has released fresh prophecies on the telecommunication, sports and railway sectors in Nigeria and the African continent.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele warned the Nigerian communication commission (NCC) against taking steps that will run the telecommunication sector into serious crisis.

He revealed that he foresees another indigenous telecommunication company coming up from the northern region of the country but stated that Glo will always stay afloat among others.

Speaking on Glo, Primate Ayodele made it known that the company has God’s backing and that no amount of scandals will be able to bring it down. He however advised them to stay focused and courageous as he foresees the company taking over several states in the country and the African continent.

‘’The Nigerian communication commission must not take a step that will run telecommunication into crisis or troubles, they should be mindful against increment of VAT on telecommunication, It will not be suitable.’’

‘’I am seeing another indigenous telecommunication company from a northerner but among all, Glo will still be a leading telecommunication company in Nigeria and Africa. It will have an unusually perfect network service despite the fact that there will be scandals against the company. They should stay focused and firm because God is behind them. Glo will employ more workers. Through Glo, the economy of Nigeria will be transformed. Glo will take over so many states in the country, I see the talking drum symbol everywhere. God has promised the chairman of Glo his protection, no matter the attacks of the enemies, I see Glo soaring.’’

On other telecommunication companies, Primate Ayodele warned MTN against taking wrong steps, Airtel against getting new device that won’t be favourable and 9mobile against indictment.

‘’MTN must be watchful against steps that will back fire against the company. I see mass retention and inferno, the company should pray.’’

‘’9mobile will have problems in September and October, and they must pray not to be bereaved. Some of their staffers will be indicted’’

‘’Airtel is working on a new device, i don’t see it becoming favourable for them.’’

On Sports, Primate Ayodele warned the current NFF president, Amaju Pinnick not to be tempted to contest for a third term in office because it will kill the Nigerian football. He went ahead to mention that God has ordained Alh Ibrahim Gusau to become the next NFF president and that during his tenure, Nigeria will lift the African cup of nations.

Continuing, He asked Nigerians to pray against the death of a Nigerian footballer and death in the glass house.

‘’Amaju Pinnick should not go for a third term, if he goes, Nigerian football will die. The only person God has ordained to lead the NFF is Alh Ibrahim Gusau, he is the best man for the job that can take Nigerian football to glory. If we have Gusau as the NFF president, Nigeria will lift the Nations cup in 2023. ‘’

‘’Let’s pray not to lose a Nigerian footballer in the field of playing. Let us pray so there won’t be death in Glass house, a former player will die.’’

Furthermore, the man of God warned the Nigeria railway corporation that he foresees a railway derailment and protest, asking them to be watchful and prayerful.

‘’I see another railway derailment and there will be protest by railway workers in Nigeria, NRC should be watchful and prayerful.’’

Insecurity: Gani Adams Reports Nigeria To UN, EU, AU, Others

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams has called on international organizations including the United Nations to take steps about the insecurity in Nigeria.

The chief warrior of Yoruba land lamented in his open letter to the international organizations that no part of Nigeria is safe again.

He accused the leaders of the country of encouraging terrorists and their activities, adding that the criminals are now moving from the northern part of the country to the southern parts.

The letter, addressed to the UN Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres, also had copies sent to the European Union, African Union, United States State Departments, the International Association for Religious Freedom in the United Kingdom, Council on Foreign Relations and other international organizations.

According to Adams in the letter, if the insecurity plaguing Nigeria is not arrested before it escalates further, the entire country may be consumed.

He, therefore, called on the relevant international bodies to take urgent action before the situation escalates further.

“Pitiably, terrorists moving from northern Nigeria to the South are being embraced, encouraged and empowered by powers that be in Nigeria.

“I am raising this alarm now because the effect of this dangerous trend may ultimately balkanise Nigeria and affect sub-Sahara Africa.

“Similar alarm was raised in defunct Yugoslavia and sadly, nobody put in check the pogromists whose actions led to the massacre in that geographical location,” the letter titled “Avoiding a replica of the Bosnian War in Nigeria,” reads in part.

He lamented in the letter released last week that the government seems unconcerned by the killings, kidnapping and other cases of insecurity troubling the country while their attention has been captured by the 2023 general elections.

“It is generally believed that those in authority are helpless, complicit or both. Now, Nigeria is at the point of no return, showing all signs of a failed nation.

“Instead of tackling these atrocities by Fulani terrorists, government officials are busy planning and strategising for the 2023 general elections. Something urgent must be done to avoid a final collapse of the country,” Adams said.

He said the United Nations must take action now before Nigeria is overrun by the criminals while the government looks on helplessly.

“The repercussion of leaving them to continue to maim Nigerians, especially Yoruba, is better imagined. No part of Nigeria is safe again.

“The time for the United Nations to escalate this danger to a global concern is now,” he said.

CDS Irabor Exposes Soldiers Working With Boko Haram, Bandits, Others

The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Leo Irabor, has lamented the rising number of military personnel assisting and abetting terrorists and bandits in the country.

The commanders of various operations were also instructed by the general to sensitize their officers on the implications of collaborating with terrorists in a letter.

“Recent happenings in various TOOs reveal an increase in cases of aiding and abetting by personnel. This development was revealed in different reports of arrests of military personnel within a short period of time,” the letter signed on behalf of the CDS by one CE Oji read.

“It would be recalled that a soldier was arrested by a covert intelligence Team for conniving with a confirmed terrorists informant known as Babagana Kura in Bama LGA, Borno State.

“The arrests of these personnel are indicative of inside action that has continued to aid the adversary, pertinently with immediate or potential impact on operations.”

Recall, a Nigerian Army battalion instructor, Lance Corporal Abdullahi Jibrin, in Geidam, Yobe State, committed suicide after being apprehended for conspiring with terrorists who recently attacked Yobe communities.

Jibrin, who had vanished from his post, was seen among the Boko Haram insurgents who had stormed Geidam town earlier.

The soldier was tracked by army intelligence and discovered in Gashua, hundreds of kilometres away from his service station, according to military authorities.

NCC Releases Guidelines For Replacing SIM Cards Of Dead, Sick People, Others

Nigerian telecommunications subscribers can legally replace Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) for deceased and also persons by proxy, the Nigerian Communications Commission.

This was made known in the ‘Guidelines on SIM Replacement and the business rules & operational processes for implementation of the SIM replacement guidelines 2022.’

The Guideline was approved by the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami).

The ministry had set up a technical committee on the guideline.

The Minister had approved the SIM Replacement Policy for subscribers whose SIMs have been lost, stolen, misplaced or damaged in 2021.

The guideline applies to all Communications Service Providers using a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) as well as all postpaid and prepaid subscribers, according to the document seen by THE WHISTLER.

The National Identity Number linkage has become mandatory for replacement of SIMs. Based on the guideline, subscribers can replace their SIM by proxy, while SIM replacement can be done for the deceased.

The NCC described the proxy as a subscriber who cannot visit the shop either due to sickness or inability to move.

It said the requirement are a letter of authorisation from the main Subscriber appointing the Proxy in that regard, adding that the Proxy must provide his/her NIN and the NIN of the main Subscriber.

The Guideline also stated that the Subscriber must provide the Communications Service Provider with a letter of indemnity, indemnifying the relevant Communications Service Provider from any liability arising from the SIM Replacement process.

On SIM replacement for the deceased, the regulator revealed that SIM of a deceased can be replaced by an authorized individual subject to conditions.

The steps are, “The provision of a Certified True Copy of the death certificate of the deceased issued by the National Population Commission (NPC). Provision of Letters of Administration of Estate issued by a superior Court of Record, where the deceased died intestate or with an unregistered Will. Where the deceased died testate, the Executor of the registered Will must provide the requisite probate letters showing authority to act on behalf of the estate of the deceased.

“The authorized individual must provide his/her NIN and the MSISDN of the deceased. The Communications Service Provider shall confirm the deceased ownership of the MSISDN and whether any NIN was linked to the MSISDN. The authorized individual must provide the Communications Service Provider with a letter of indemnity, indemnifying the relevant Communications Service Provider from any liability arising from the SIM Replacement process.

“At all times, such individual shall be liable where it is discovered that the SIM Replacement was done without the requisite authority.”

House Of Reps Rejects Life Pension For Senate President, Speaker, Others

The House of Representatives has rejected the proposal to grant constitutional life pension to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and their deputies.
Naija News reports that 162 lawmakers voted to knock out the proposal, 28 members voted to grant them life pension while three lawmakers stayed away from the voting exercise.

After the voting exercise, a total of 193 votes by the members of the House of Representatives were recorded.

In a related development, the National Assembly has passed a bill for an Act mandating the President and Governors to submit nominees for Ministers and Commissioners within 30 days of swearing-in.

Ninety-two Senators voted in favour of the bill while one abstained.

In the Green chamber, twenty hundred and eighty-nine House of Representatives members voted in favour of the bill, which was passed.

Adamawa Govt Places Ban On Sale, Transportation Of Livestock To Lagos, Others

The Adamawa state government has announced the banning of the sale and interstate transportation of livestock.
The Secretary to the State Government, Bashir Ahmad, in a statement revealed that the reason the state took such a decision was due to the amount of levy placed on the livestock.

He went ahead to state that Lagos collects about N35,000 levy on a cattle and maintained that such high levy affects the amount of revenue generated per head of cattle.

Ahmad said that since they were solely responsible for rearing the cattle they would therefore harness the revenue made from it to improve the economy of the state.

According to him: “What we generate as revenue per head of cattle is low compared to what’s been collected along the road to the point of sale”

“People take cattle from Mubi market here, move it to Lagos, along the road they pay nothing less than N5000 per head in like, five revenue collection points.

“We concluded that as long as this thing starts from us, then we should be able to acrue revenue just as others are doing.

“As we’ve seen how much revenue is generated outside the state from our cattle, we decided to harness it to improve our economy.

“To achieve that from now, we will work on value-chain of the cattle by moving it from the market to an abattoir within the state, slaughter it, process it by separating the bones, the horns and we’ll package the beef for shipment to markets in Lagos and other states.”

Audit: Reps Panel Summons Fashola, Aregbesola, Others

Four ministers, their permanent secretaries and their heads of finance and procurement departments have been given a seven-day ultimatum by the public accounts committee of the House of Representatives to appear before it.
The committee threatened that failure to appear before it within the given time will see relevant laws invoked against them.

The affected ministers are Rauf Aregbesola (Interior), Ali Pantami (Communications and Digital Economy), Prof Osagie Ehanire (Health), Sharon Ikeazor (Environment), Babatunde Fashola (Works and Housing).

The Chairman of the committee, Oluwole Oke summoned the ministers during an investigative hearing held on Tuesday over the alleged refusal by the ministers and officials of their ministries to respond to audit queries issued by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation over the years.

Oke while addressing the former Governor of Osun State, charged him to appear before it with the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the head of the Federal Fire Service.

He directed the clerk of the committee to dispatch the notice to the affected ministries and a copy to be sent to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, respectively.

Oke said, “Today makes it the fifth time the Ministry of Works and Housing will be asking for another extension of time on the audit queries raised against it over the years. For how long shall we continue like this? Mr President honoured some people with public appointments but to pay him back, they will not be alive to their responsibilities. This is very unfortunate.

“We are only asking them to make appearances before the committee to clarify issues on financial infractions raised by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, nothing more!”

APC postpones Anambra campaign in honour of Akunyili, others

APC has postponed the flag-off of its Anambra governorship campaign scheduled for Saturday in Onitsha, Anambra, in honour of victims of various attacks in the state.

Governorship election holds in the state on Nov. 6.

The governorship candidate, Sen. Andy Uba, announced the postponement in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.

He noted that there had been several attacks by gunmen in Anambra over the past weeks, leading to destruction of properties and killings.

This, he stated, included the recent murder of Dr Chike Akunyili, widower of late Dora Akunyili, ex-minister of Information and Communications among others.

“As a mark of respect and honour for all those who have lost their lives I, in consultation with the leadership of our party and campaign council, have decided to cancel the campaign flag-off rally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021 in Onitsha.

“You will all agree with me that our culture and tradition hold lives sacred.

“It follows, therefore, that the safety and preservation of lives of our people must at all times take precedence over any political interest, activities and or associations.

“I, Sen. Andy Uba, will be the very last person to sacrifice or play politics with the lives of our people. Neither will I allow anybody to do so under my watch,’’ he stated.

He added that like every other well-meaning member of the public, he had followed with much sadness and grief, the recent unfortunate and mindless state of violence and insecurity in Anambra.

“I have also watched with disdain, obvious breakdown of institutional capacity and inability of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)-led state government to address security challenges and prevent the state from further descent into anarchy and chaos.

“My sincere condolences to all who have lost loved ones in the on-going politically motivated killings in Anambra.

“To `Ndi Anambra’ who are living in fear of their lives and property as a result of the on-going mayhem, I bring you a message of hope.

“Hope in God under whose divine protection as Christians we go about our daily activities; hope in our collective capacity and republican nature to resist all forms of evil,’’ he stated.

Uba, however, charged residents of the state to go about their normal lawful businesses, adding that they should be vigilant and take necessary precaution to ensure that their lives and property were not put in harm’s way.

He assured that he would ensure that politically-motivated killings in the state were brought to an end to enable the people of Anambra to go about their lawful businesses without fear of any sort.

Let us Join Hands in shutting down Nigeria on October 1 – IPOB begs Oduduwa agitators, others

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Tuesday, urged other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria to join in shutting down the country on October 1.

IPOB said other ethnic nationalities should join in rejecting Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration.

Spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, urged those agitating for Oduduwa Republic and Middle Belt to join in shutting down Nigeria on October 1.

A statement by Powerful reads: “Following our earlier declaration of October 1st sit at home order issued by the leadership of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), all Nigeria oppressed tribes should reject the Nigerian government’s evil agenda against the indeginous peoples.

“We, the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), request our brothers and sisters in Oduduwa republic and Middle Belt who suffer similar fate with us to join hands in sympathy protest.

“All lovers of freedom including Christian communities in the North and other parts of Nigeria, who receive humiliation, intimidation and killings from Fulani terrorists, bandits and murderous herdsmen should understand that time has come for all victims of Fulani impunity and atrocities to unite together for resistance.

“We need to put our differences behind us and rise as one people to defend our ancestral land and heritage against our common enemy.

“We advise all oppressed people in Nigeria to know that we are all victims of Fulani evil agenda which the federal government of Nigeria has been encouraging and supporting them to eliminate indigenous tribes and take over their ancestral lands.

“Our objective is to deliver all indeginous nationalities, so everybody must reject Nigeria with their impunity if we want to be free from Fulani subjugation. Nigeria is not worth celebrating and our children must be saved from the evil that is Nigeria. Our freedom is due and ready for us to take it.”