President Muhammadu Buhari says he will not make any comment about those who will make his next cabinet. Fielding questions from reporters after his 10-day trip to the United Kingdom, Buhari said he is ready to settle down and swear in the new cabinet.
A reporter had asked him, “What kind of people will make your next cabinet?”
He responded: “I won’t tell you.” The president also refused to respond to the question on whether he compiled a ministerial list while in London.
On the widespread crime in the country, Buhari said he noticed Mohammed Adamu, acting inspector-general of police, had lost weight, saying it is a sign that he is working hard.
Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command on Saturday arrested six suspects for allegedly bringing a truckload of poisonous cow skin, aka Ponmo, into the state.
The suspects - who were identified as Adelowo Yinka, Olawumi Onabanjo, Omowumi Wasiu, Adeshokan Taiwo, Iyabo Oluwa and Taye Kazeem - were said to have assembled the goods in a warehouse on College Road, in the Igando area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, in a statement on Sunday, said operatives of the command who arrested the suspects acted on information that the poisonous goods were kept in the warehouse.
He said the poisonous ponmo, the chemicals used in preserving them and a truck used in conveying the items were recovered after the warehouse was ransacked.
Elkana said, “On Saturday, May 4, 2019, around 5am, acting on the strength of information from a credible source that a truckload of cow skins, popularly called ponmo, suspected to be poisonous were heaped in a warehouse; a team of police officers, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Igando Police Station, mobilised to the scene and recovered the huge pillage of poisonous ponmo and the chemicals used for their preservation.
“One TATA truck, with number plate, AKD-375-XB, used in conveying the goods was impounded. Officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health were contacted and after due examination, the cow skins were confirmed to be poisonous and not fit for human consumption. Six suspects were arrested in connection with the case.”
The PPRO said the state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Mu’azu, assured Lagosians that the command was determined to protect the life and property of residents, adding that investigation was ongoing to ascertain the source and destination of the poisonous food items. They would be charged.
Operatives of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad have arrested two suspects, Olukoya Ayodele and Victor Godwin, for allegedly peddling hard drugs in the Alausa area of the state.
The suspects were said to have been illegally running a distribution network of drugs.
Police operatives, who reportedly got a tip-off on their activities, arrested them while posing as potential buyers of the illicit drugs.
The suspects, in their confessional statements to the police, reportedly said they used to buy and sell different types of drugs, including hemp, skunk, Tramadol, Refnol, Diazal, among others, to factory workers within the vicinity.
Ayodele, who claimed to be a member of the Black Axe Confraternity, was allegedly arrested with charms.
The 26-year-old said he went into hard drugs because he was not making enough money as a conductor, adding that he made over N3.6m annually from peddling the drugs.
He said, “I use all these charms to protect myself from getting killed by rival cults. I learnt how to make charm from my father, who is an herbalist. So, it was easy for me to prepare various charms for myself and friends.
“After graduating in 2015, I came to Lagos in search of greener pastures. I first worked in a factory, but I left the work because it was too stressful. I later began to work as a conductor in the same area and added drug peddling to the job to augment my low income as a conductor.
“I make over N3.6m annually from the sale of hard drugs. I have been in the business for the past three years. The charms also helped me to transact my business and prevented me from getting caught by security operatives.”
Godwin, who owns a boutique in the area, said he sold the drugs to factory workers who used the substance to boost their energy.
The 30-year-old said, “I sell hard drugs to factory workers who use the drugs because their work is energy-sapping. I sell one capsule of Tramadol for N300, while hemp and skunk are sold for N100 respectively. The drug business is very lucrative, but I regret involving myself in it.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Mu’azu, while urging youths to be creative, advised them to shun illegal ventures. The suspects were said to have been transferred to the narcotic section of the command for further investigations.
Massive security operations have begun to rein in criminals who seem to have seized villages, towns and cities by the throat across Nigeria, the Federal Government said yesterday.
Details of the “strategic” operations were not disclosed by the police, but they are being carried out by “the entire law enforcement and intelligence community”.
Among the massive measures are:
ban on the use of motorcycles in the Northwest states of Kano, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi and Katsina where bandits have done much havoc;
relocation of Katsina State Police Commissioner Sanusi Buba to Daura in a bid to rescue the abducted District Head, Alhaji Musa Umar;
organisational restructuring in the police;
drafting of some officers who converted to general police back to special forces; and
investing more in intelligence gathering.
Alhaji Umar was abducted last week at his home in Daura, hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari. His abductors are yet to contact his family.
The police said the CP’s relocation would aid the coordination and investigation of security operations. The measures came amid a wake-up call by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on President Buhari to stop the criminals.
In a statement in Abuja yesterday by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DPC), the police said efforts were being made to subdue criminal gangs across the country.
DCP Mba said: “Currently, there are massive strategic security operations, both covert and overt missions, taking place at different parts of the country, including Katsina, aimed at subduing the criminal gangs and restoring sanity to the land.
“However, because of the covert and sensitive nature of these operations, I will not discuss them for now but Nigerians should be assured that the entire law enforcement and intelligence community in Nigeria will not rest until we win the battle against crimes and criminality in Nigeria.”
The development came as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources, Kabiru Garba Marafa, claimed yesterday alerted that more than 44,000 orphans roam the streets of Zamfara State due to eight years of armed banditry.
Marafa, who represents Zamfara Central, also claimed that sustained banditry has led to the killing of over 11,000 male adults leaving behind an estimated average of 22,000 widows at two wives per adult.
The Nigeria Police Force in Niger State has apprehended three brothers for ritual killing in the Borgu Local Government Area of the state. The suspects, Saminu Usman,25; Yusuf Usman,22; and Muhammadu Usman, 35, all of Janruwa village in the Borgu LGA were reportedly arrested by a team of policemen attached to the New Bussa division.
They were nabbed after a complaint by Yakubu Garba, the father of their victim.
It was learnt that the suspects abducted one Shehu Garba and whisked him away to an unknown location where they planned to kill him for rituals.
Northern City News gathered on Sunday that the men took their victim to a bush where they killed him and cut off one of his hands.
One of the suspects, Saminu, alleged that his eldest brother, Mohammadu, instructed them to cut off their victim’s hand for ritual to enable them to be rich.
He stated, “It was actually not our intention to kill our victim for rituals. But after killing him, we cut off his hand, which we planned to use for ritual, before we were arrested by the police.
“I don’t know what to say; but we have disappointed our parents and other family members. Imagine three brothers going to jail at the same time; we have ruined our lives.”
The command Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Abubakar, confirmed the incident, saying the suspects had confessed to the crime.Abubakar said the three brothers killed their victim for ritual purposes, adding that the matter had been charged to court.
Methodist Church Nigeria has hailed the anti-corruption crusade of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Speaking at the weekend at the 25th Synod of the Diocese of Lagos Mainland, held at the Hoare’s Memorial Methodist Cathedral, Yaba, Lagos, the Archbishop and Bishop of Lagos Mainland, the Most Rev. Obafemi Adeleye, said the Buhari government had done a lot to fight corruption.
He said: “The anti-corruption war of the Buhari administration is commendable with mixed feeling. It is clear to all and sundry that corruption is like a cancer in the life of Nigeria. Some of our past leaders, from the federal to the local government levels, are corrupt. The mixed feeling is that the anti-corruption crusade should not be one-sided. For the sake of posterity and integrity, President
Buhari should extend the war to his own camp and not only the opposition party.”
Archbishop Adeleye also said the worsening security situation following the increasing spate of bloodletting in some parts of the country was also of great concern.
Massive security operations have begun to rein in criminals who seem to have seized villages, towns and cities by the throat, the Federal Government said yesterday.
Details of the “strategic” operations were not disclosed by the police, but they are being carried out by “the entire law enforcement and intelligence community”.
Among the measures are:
Ban on the use of motorcycles in the Northwest states of Kano, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi and Katsina where bandits have done much havoc;
Relocation of Katsina State Police Commissioner Sanusi Buba to Daura in a bid to rescue the abducted District Head, Alhaji Musa Umar;
Organisational restructuring in the police;
Drafting of some officers who converted to general police back to special forces; and
Investing more in intelligence gathering.
Alhaji Umar was abducted last week at his home in Daura, hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari. His abductors are yet to contact his family.
The police said the CP’s relocation would aid the coordination and investigation of security operations.
The measures came amid a wake-up call by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on President Buhari to stop the criminals.
Operatives of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad have arrested two suspects, Olukoya Ayodele and Victor Godwin, for allegedly peddling hard drugs in the Alausa area of the state.
The suspects were said to have been illegally running a distribution network of drugs.
Police operatives, who reportedly got a tip-off on their activities, arrested them while posing as potential buyers of the illicit drugs.
The suspects, in their confessional statements to the police, reportedly said they used to buy and sell different types of drugs, including hemp, skunk, Tramadol, Refnol, Diazal, among others, to factory workers within the vicinity.
Ayodele, who claimed to be a member of the Black Axe Confraternity, was allegedly arrested with charms.
The 26-year-old said he went into hard drugs because he was not making enough money as a conductor, adding that he made over N3.6m annually from peddling the drugs.
He said, “I use all these charms to protect myself from getting killed by rival cults. I learnt how to make charm from my father, who is an herbalist. So, it was easy for me to prepare various charms for myself and friends.
“After graduating in 2015, I came to Lagos in search of greener pastures. I first worked in a factory, but I left the work because it was too stressful. I later began to work as a conductor in the same area and added drug peddling to the job to augment my low income as a conductor.
“I make over N3.6m annually from the sale of hard drugs. I have been in the business for the past three years. The charms also helped me to transact my business and prevented me from getting caught by security operatives.”
Godwin, who owns a boutique in the area, said he sold the drugs to factory workers who used the substance to boost their energy.
The 30-year-old said, “I sell hard drugs to factory workers who use the drugs because their work is energy-sapping. I sell one capsule of Tramadol for N300, while hemp and skunk are sold for N100 respectively. The drug business is very lucrative, but I regret involving myself in it.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Mu’azu, while urging youths to be creative, advised them to shun illegal ventures.
The suspects were said to have been transferred to the narcotic section of the command for further investigations.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on Saturday said he defeated and retired four political godfathers in Kaduna State, saying the feat could be replicated in Lagos State.
El-Rufai, who argued that godfathers existed only on paper or in the minds of the people, said the key to defeating them was in going directly to the people.
APC leader, Bola Tinubu is the godfather in Lagos. Does el-Rufai want him defeated?
The Kaduna State Governor spoke in Ikoyi, Lagos, at an event organised by the Bridge Club tagged, “An evening with His Excellency Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State.”
In his main speech, El-Rufai had encouraged the club members, who are businessmen, not to shy away from politics, saying it was more important than making money as bad politics could mess up their businesses.
El-Rufai said Nigeria had permanently remained a country of potential because good and competent people had distanced themselves from politics.
However, during the question and answer session, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and three-time commissioner in Lagos State, Dr Muiz Banire, noted that godfathershipwas one of the drawbacks for professionals and businessmen who might want to go into politics.
Banire then asked El-Rufai how godfathership could be dealt with.
Responding, El-Rufai said, “Godfatherism. This is Lagos. Let me tell you something sir; you know, Kaduna State used to be like that. There were three or four politicians in Kaduna that you could not become anything unless you had them on your side. Those were the godfathers of Kaduna politics and you had to carry them along and you know, the three words, ‘carry them along’ mean paying them regularly.
“But we chose a different path and the long and short of it now is that after this election in 2019, we have retired all of them; we had to.”
El-Rufai added that the fact that only one million out of the six million registered voters in Lagos voted in the last general elections was an opportunity to end godfathership in the state.
He said, “Here in Lagos, you have over six million registered voters, only about a million voted (in 2019 general elections); five million did not vote. If I want to run for governor of Lagos, I will start now. I will commission a study to know why those five million registered voters did not vote; where do they go on election day? Then I will start visiting them for the next four years. I will try and get just two million of them to come and vote for me; I will defeat any godfather.
"The key is to go to the people. The card reader and the biometric register have given us the tools to connect directly with the people. I assure you if you do that for the next four years, connecting with the people; the tin godfather, you will retire him or her permanently. But it is hard work; it requires three to four years of hard work. So, if you want to run in 2023, you should start now.”
The Lagos State coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mohammed Momoh, has said the service is waiting for the federal government to give it the go ahead to begin the implementation of the new law.
Former NYSC Director General, Suleiman Kazaure, had assured that there would be an increase in the payment for corps members in accordance with the increment in minimum wage.
The federal government in April 2019 had approved the N30,000 minimum wage for workers in the country by signing it into law. But the law is yet to be implemented by the NYSC.
Reacting to this, Momoh in an interview with TVC News said “The effective date of implementation would be stated on the circular and any corps member that falls within that said period and is qualified for the monthly allowance would benefit from the increase if and when the implementation starts.
“Corps members are Nigerians and it is only expected that they would benefit from the increase. At the appropriate time, the federal government would fix the allowance for corps members. This would then be made public by the NYSC.
“I have no doubt that the federal government would do the needful in accordance with the minimum wage.”
This is sad. A Nigerian lady who declared her mum missing about five days ago, has found out that she died in an accident shortly after she left Akure for Lagos on Wednesday, May 1.
She had revealed that all effort to reach her mum turned out fruitless, and begged Nigerians with useful information of a road accident or kidnap in that axis to reach out to her.
Sadly, her mum died alongside three other people after getting involved in fatal accident...
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye has warned ladies to avoid marrying jobless men. They have the tendencies to use, dump and abandon such ladies.
According to him, a woman should not marry a man that has no work “if not you will be the work.”
Pastor Adeboye spoke on Sunday at the May Special Prayer and Thanksgiving service by the RCCG Throne of Grace, National Headquarters Ebute Metta, Lagos.
He noted it is not sinful for a single lady to politely ask any man proposing marriage whether or not he has a job. Stating that women are conceived as helpmeets, Adeboye argued that it is someone who has a job that can be helped.
Adeboye, who spoke through the Assistant General Overseer, (RCCG) Personnel and Administration, Pastor Johnson Odesola, said the man is key and the woman has only come to help.
“Whatever the woman does is a help. The man is a major director in the house,” he stressed.
A few days after the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) announced the appointment of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as its “Ambassador-at-Large”, the FCC has initiated a fresh investigation, which seeks to probe all salaries, allowances, estacodes, and payments he received as governor far back from 2003 to 20011.
The probe coming eight years after Saraki left office as governor of Kwara State, was contained in a letter to the state government, through the Permanent Secretary, Government House, dated April 26, and titled, “Investigation Activities: Dr. Bukola Saraki.”
EFCC claimed in the letter that it was investigating an alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, theft, and money laundering involving Saraki.
According to the letter signed by its Zonal Head, Isyaku Sharu, EFCC stated, “In view of the above, you are kindly requested to furnish us with the full details of all his entitlements to include but not limited to emoluments, allowances, estacodes, other fringe benefits and severance package while he held sway as the Executive Governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.
“This request is made pursuant to Section 38 (1) & (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.”
However, because this is coming only a few days after Saraki landed an international appointment, many in the state believe the move is a mere smear campaign intended to rubbish the senate president before the international community. This is more so as he is the one singled out for such a probe among those that held office as governor in that period.
Besides, many see the latest investigation as curious because Saraki had been through a tedious prosecution by the Code of Conduct Tribunal and was subsequently cleared by the tribunal and the Supreme Court.
“To think he is the only one who has been singled out for this kind of investigation, more so that we have probed further to check if that kind of letter was sent to anyone else and our checks revealed that he was the only one sent the letter except, of course, they just issued another one today. This, obviously, is a needless persecution and must be condemned by all,” said a stakeholder, who believed the anti-graft body had derailed.
The stakeholder, who preferred anonymity, said further, “Isn’t it curious that the EFCC wants to look at legitimate earnings like salaries, including condescending to the level of probing the esacodes and other emoluments as governor? Is the anti-graft body not a political tool already?”
The Supreme Court had in June 2018 cleared Saraki of all allegations of false asset declaration, after the federal government filed 18 counts of false and anticipatory asset declaration charges against him in 2015. Although all the counts collapsed at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in 2017, the government appealed the ruling, culminating in a judgement by the Supreme Court.
But the Court of Appeal had earlier upheld all but three of the charges and returned them to the tribunal for retrial. Saraki’s legal team contested the verdict of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court, insisting he had no case to answer.
In its verdict, the Supreme Court said the Court of Appeal panel engaged in “forensic somersault” when it held that Saraki should answer three of the charges.
While all the allegations of false asset declaration had been cleared at the highest court, the EFCC has taken a different route, a move that has exacerbated suspicion that it is political persecution.
Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, said he has evidence the President Buhari rigged his re-election in February, making his victory as declared by INEC questionable.
“I maintain my stand that until the Supreme Court rules that he is validly elected, I will not recognise him. We have evidence that the election was rigged.
Let the court decide otherwise. That is all I am saying,” Adebanjo said in reaction to the call for his arrest for treason by National Democratic Front (NDF).
Adebanjo had, in February, described the 2019 presidential election ‘as a joke’. He insisted he will not recognise Buhari, who was declared the winner of the election by INEC, as president.
“Right now, Buhari is the president declared by INEC and not the person that won the election, and the constitution says if you are not satisfied by that declaration, go to the tribunal,” Adebanjo said.
While the tribunal is still hearing the case, Adebanjo said Buhari would only be clear of the election rigging allegations if he is declared as the winner by the Supreme Court.
“I will only recognise him if the court rules that he is the rightful winner. That is my position and if it is an offence to follow what the constitution says, then I am ready to go to prison,” Adebanjo said.
Operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Benin Zonal Office on Saturday, May 4, arrested 13 suspected internet fraudsters during an early morning raid in Uromi, Edo State.
The suspects, who are between the ages of 20 to 35 were smoked out from their hideout in a hotel.
Upon their arrest, 23 phones and three laptops were recovered from them. Three luxury cars, Lexus R330, C300 4 Matic and GLK 350 4Matic were also recovered from them.
The raid which was sequel to series of intelligence gathering by operatives of the zone is in line with the directive of the acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu to rid the state and indeed the entire country of internet fraud and cybercrime.
The suspects have made useful statements and will soon be charged to court.
Contrary to news making the rounds that billionaire, Ned Nwoko’s wives are at loggerheads with his new love interest, Regina Daniels, his image consultant, Karifest ‘Duchess’ Onyeka, has said there is no such thing.
She told Sunday Scoop, “It is a big fat lie that the other wives of Ned Nwoko have ganged up against Regina Daniels. I’m not supposed to comment on this but I want to correct the false impression. That fake news is the handwork of enemies. There is none of Ned’s wives that is at loggerheads with anybody. Whoever he is married to is too comfortable to complain. They have the choicest cars and whatever they want at their disposal. So, what do they have to complain about?
The man (Nwoko) is a nice, kind and lovable person. He is a humanitarian and he loves humanity so much. Because of that, he goes out of his way to take care of many people.
Coming to the issue of his wives, I believe he has the sole prerogative to do whatever he wants with his life. If he decides to marry 100 wives, it’s his choice if he feels he can take care of them all. People should just allow the man to live and enjoy his private life. He is a very good person and does not deserve this kind of publicity.”
Reminded that Nwoko is a public figure and the lady in question is an actress, so public attention is inevitable, Onyeka said, “It is not because he is a public figure that this news spread like wildfire, it is because he has many enemies. He is an Anioma (in Delta State) elite, and because his ways are different from that of other elites, people always try to cast aspersions on him at every opportunity. There are people that do worse things, but nobody talks about them.”
Onyeka also maintained that Daniels was not underage. She said, “What do people mean that she is underage? The girl is an international figure and has travelled overseas on her own. She is legally an adult and knows right from wrong. She has fully developed breasts and her hips are well formed. She is a well mannered girl with good composure. So, which man wouldn’t be attracted to someone like her? Age is nothing but a number and lots of people have married with wide age gaps. People such as Sade Okoya, Tina Turner and others married people whose ages were far different from theirs. If such people had married their age mates, their marriages may have crashed. It is pertinent to go after happiness wherever you find it.”
On whether the couple is legally married, Karifest Onyeka said, “If they married, it is only a matter of time before everybody knows.”
Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has declared Monday May 6 as the first day of Ramadan, 1440 AH which marks the commencement of the Ramadan fast by the Muslims across the country.
Making the announcement Sunda in his palace in Sokoto, Abubakar said the commencement of the fast followed reports of sighting of the moon across various states of the federation which marked the end of the month of Shaaban 1440 AH.
The Emir of Kano Malam Mohammad Sanusi ll, today charged couples in the state to always respect the bond of marriage.
The Emir gave the charge during the inauguration of mass wedding of 1,500 couples sponsored by Kano State government at the central mosque Kano.
He implored them to live a peaceful married life full of love and happiness.
The Emir said the emirate had constituted a committee of Ulama which has designed a married law, aimed at curtailing the challenge of frequent brake up of marriages.
The Emir of Kano stated that the proposed family law would soon be submitted to the state government for the next line of action
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said his administration had spent over N30m in providing furniture’s and payment of dowry for the groom’s.
He said the gesture was targeted at alleviating the sufferings of the populace.
The marriage contract was presided over by the Chief Imam of Kano central Mosque Professor Mohammad Sani Zahradeen .
Among the newly married, Musbahu Danjuma and sabiu Abdullahi hailed Ganduje’s administration for the kind gesture and promise to respect the marriage through adequate care of their spouses.
The marriage processions were conducted in all forty four local government areas of Kano.
