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Ondo: Police Rescue 50 Kidnapped Children, Arrest Pastor

By
Ayodele Oni
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The Kidnapped Chidlren in Ondo and the Suspects

By Ayodele Oni

Following discovery of not less than 50 underaged children in an underground apartment in Ondo state, fear has gripped residents of the town.

It was learnt that the incident happened on Saturday in Ondo, Ondo West Local Government Area of the state.

The children were suspected to have been kidnapped by the owner of the apartment David Anifowose, a pastor at The Whole Bible deliverance Church.

The underground apartment, located at Valentino area, is said to be owned by a church.

People are said to have been suspecting something strange within the church premises since Friday until the cat was let out.

Sources said the children were rescued from the building by men of the Nigerian police, while the pastor and some members of the church have also been taken into custody.

In a viral video, the children were seen in a patrol vehicle of the police, while they were being transported to the police station, while an unverified voice was heard saying: “They are kidnapped children found in the underground cell of a church in the Valentino Area of Ondo.

“The pastor and some members of the church have been arrested and were also in the patrol van of the police.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed that the victims had been taken to the State CID in Akure, headquarters of the command.

Anifowose and some other suspects are also in police custody.

2023: Al Mustapha Says No Regret Working For Abacha; Unveils Presidential Bid

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the Chief Security Officer, CSO to late dictator Gen Sani Abacha, says his loyalty to Nigeria is the reason he’s contesting the 2023 presidential election under the Action Alliance, AA.

The retired Army major said he’s contesting for the highest office in the country following clarion calls from well meaning Nigerians. Al Mustapha is contesting the second time having failed in 2019.

He made the assertion while speaking on Channels Television Programmes, Politics Today.

He stressed that his passion to develop the country made him to join the presidential race.

“It is that sense of awareness, that commitment driven by the energy of patriotism that brought us to the fore to face politics”, Al-Mustapha asserted.

Denying the notion that he was in the Presidential Race for Financial gains, Al-Mustapha said that numerous data show that Nigeria is a very bad place at the moment and as such, committed Nigerians like him are needed to reposition the nation.

“For the last seven years since I came out of prison, we have been undertaking researches in and out of Nigeria, and our findings are extremely disturbing.

“What every committed Nigerian should do right now is to understand the enormity of the problems facing Nigeria.

“The new world order is changing and we are not changing, the world is running with the moon and we are not, people are flying with the wind and we are not; time has changed and we remain stagnant”, he stated.

Speaking on the tyrannical regime of Abacha and his relationship with him, Al-Mustapha said he has no regret working with the late military dictator.

“I have no regret, once you join the military, you should be open-minded to work anywhere,” he said, adding that he was destined to work for the former military leader.

Al Mustapha became notorious following his use of brute force against perceived enemies of the regime. He was alleged to be behind series of political assassinations that took place at the time. He has denied the allegation.

2023: Amaechi Directs Supporters To Work For Tinubu

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Rotimi Amaechi

By Tosin Olatokunbo

After losing the All Progressives Congress, APC presidential ticket to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the immediate past Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, says he bears no grudges against his party.

Amaechi, a former rivers governor came second in the shadow election that produced the former Lagos Governor as APC flagbearer. Tinubu has since paid him a visit as part of the fence mending efforts to presidential aspirants and notable party stalwarts ahead the 2023 presidential election.

The former minister spoke on Saturday, in Port Harcourt during a reception organized by members of the party to welcome him home after the tension-soaked APC presidential primary in the nation’s capital, last month.

Amaechi who failed to return to the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari against speculations, told his supporters that the election is over and it’s time to come together to ensure APC victory next year.

He said: “we should know that we must go and vote for our party, no matter how angry you are, they have chosen, let’s go and vote for our party.

“For the stories you hear about the people who are gossiping how they are having meetings in France, let this be your own France. Vote for your party, don’t be afraid, just go home and do your work.

“Don’t be afraid, go home and work, that’s why I came, I came to thank you, I came to urge you to go home and work, let all of us be unit leaders, no more local government leaders, ward leaders. If you check in INEC, they are no longer announcing ward results, they are announcing unit results. So let go home and win our units and bring our units home.

“Those days of meeting, writing results have all gone, we must praise INEC, praise the National Assembly for reducing the level of rigging, where people write results and INEC will just announce, now it is almost gone,” the former minister said.

Meanwhile, many watchers of the minister and Rivers’ state politics said they are unsure of his next line of action after he failed to make the list of seven ministerial nominees President Buhari recently sent to the Senate for confirmation.

Adeboye Calls On Christians To Arm Themselves Against Terrorists

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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By Tosin Olatokunbo

Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG has called on Christians across the country to defend themselves against terrorists and other criminals.

The man of God spoke barely few days after Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state called on his peoples to arm themselves against bandits who have been killing people in the state.

His call also came barely 24 hours after United States of America, USA senator wrote a letter to Secretary of state, Anthony Blinken  to re-designate Nigeria among countries of particular concern, CPC over the killings of Christians. Nigeria was removed from the list last year.

Apart from Matawalle, Governors Gabriel Ortom and Darius Ishaku of Benue and Taraba states, respectively had in the past called on their people to take up arms and defend themselves in the face of worsening insecurity in the country.

In what looked like a shift from the past, Adeboye said there’s no place in the Holy Bible where Christians are told to throw up their arms when they are being killed by enemies.

The popular Pentecostal pastor has now joined other pastors in the country, such as Bishop David Oyedepo who believed that the only way to stop killings of Christians is to take up arms against the enemies.

Adeboye who spoke during his sermon at the ongoing July Holy Ghost Service at the church headquarters in Mowe, Ogun State, said terrorists will no longer have peace.

He decried those calling on churches to be shut down to avert terrorists’ attacks

The man of God said, “From now on it is going to be fire for fire. Some jokers said Churches should not open for three months. Who is your commander? God or Boko Haram; let the devil try any nonsense, from now on, it is going to be fire for fire.”

“I don’t want to say much because I know some people may want to twist it but I have searched the Bible from cover to cover and there is nowhere in the bible where God said a child of God cannot defend himself, If you find the place let me know. He said that if they slap you on the right cheek; turn left, He said that one.

“If they now slap the left, what did he say? When God is silent, do you know the meaning of that? It simply means over to you.”

Recall that the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor had while responding to Governor Matawale’s advice to take up arms, said such will lead to anarchy.

Not a few disagree with him particularly now that the security situation in the country has worsen to an abysmal level.

Ekiti Govt Faults Labour’s 21Days Ultimatum Over Unpaid Benefits

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti state government has reacted to the 21 days strike notice issued by industrial unions in the state describing it as inappropriate and untimely.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) Ekiti state chapter had early this week demanded that the Dr Kayode Fayemi led administration to offset public servants outstanding entitlements within 21 days, failure of which the workers will go on strike.

Unpaid Benefits being demanded by the workers include unremitted deductions for cooperative savings, leave bonus and arrears of promotion and salary among others.

A former labour leader and now special assistant to the governor on labour matters, Kolawole Olaiya in a statement in Ado Ekiti pointed out that the allegation by TUC is untrue as Dr Kayode Fayemi administration is not owing workers.

He said it was the immediate past administration of Governor Ayodele Fayose that owed workers several months of salaries and pensions, but workers are getting their salaries as at when due under the present administration.

“Before this government came on board in October 2018, salaries and pensions were owed workers, so labour leaders should applaud this present administration for a job well done,” he said.

According to him, presently, Ekiti state workers’ welfare is priority as salaries and pensions are paid same time unlike before when workers and pensioners would get their entitlement at different time.

Olaiya, a former TUC chairman in the state, described Governor Fayemi led administration as the best ever since the inception of the state in terms of infrastructural development based on various laudable projects that have been embarked upon and completed to solve workers accommodation problems for effective service delivery.

He stated that the civic centre named after obafemi Awolowo, the elderly resorts home, ultra modern water corporation house, construction of model schools named after Ekiti heroes, were part of projects already completed by the administration.

The Governor’s aide said ongoing work on the knowledge zone and international cargo airport and other people oriented projects are testimonies of good governance under Governor Fayemi’s administration.

He noted that government has done well at ensuring that gratuity and arrears inherited from the past administration are paid, just as the government has spent over three billion naira to defray gratuities.

Olaiya stated that salaries and pensions owed by the Fayose government are paid, while the the state is among those that approved minimum wage for the workers.

He explained that “The previous administration got bailout funds, Paris club refund and budget support funds aside statutory allocation and internally generated revenue (IGR) and still owed workers and pensioners, but this government with meager resources has not owed workers salary and pension.

“The present government needs to be applauded by labour leadership in the state being a worker friendly administration,” Olaiya said.

Atiku Urges Quick Resolution Of ASUU Strike

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, now holidaying abroad, has made case for quick resolution of the demands of the Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities, (ASUU) which has led to over three months of strike.

Disagreement between ASUU and the federal government has led to the closure of universities in the country with some of the students taking to menial jobs to keep body busy.

Several meetings have been held between representatives of ASUU and government with no resolution in sight.

In a tweet, the PDP flagbearer noted that said government should make education as one of its priorities and invest in it.

Atiku tweeted “The mind is a very terrible thing to waste. It may be a bit cliche, but I nevertheless believe this. And strongly too.

“Education is a priority to me. That is why I invested in it and even furthered my education. An investment in education pays the best dividend. Let us fund ASUU for the sake of our youth.”

Osun Gov Election: INEC  Won’t Provide Transport For Party Agents

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Fifteen days to the Osun State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has clarified that it has no business conveying party agents to their duty posts on election day.

It has, therefore, called on political parties to make transportation arrangement for their polling units agents on the Election Day.

INEC spoke on Friday during a roundtable engagement with Media Executives in Osogbo, the state capital.

Chairman of Voter Education and Publicity Committee, Festus Okoye said the past experiences have shown that stranded party agents would be dragging spaces with the adhoc staff of the commission in buses hired by the INEC.

He said the INEC National Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu will be in Osun State on Sunday to start engagement with different stakeholders in the State ahead of the election.

According to him, the leadership of the transport unions will be engaged for the purpose of providing logistics for the commission on the election day.

Okoye said, “It’s important for political parties to make provisions for the polling agents. We don’t want a situation where party agents will be dragging spaces with our presiding officers in buses we hire.

“The bus we provide carries sensitive and non sensitive materials and the presiding officers and sometimes, with the security agents.

“We don’t want a situation where polling agents will insist on getting into our vehicles at the detriment of our workers.

“It’s highly unacceptable for the type of materials we carry. This is why we’re calling on the political parties to get vehicle for their agents.”

Okoye also advised the parties to ensure that their agents put on accreditation tags provided by the commission alone.

Breaking: Court Jails Sen Nwaoboshi 7 Years for Money Laundering

By
The Source
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Senator Peter Nwaoboshi
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi

The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal today July 1, 2022 convicted and sentenced Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, senator representing Delta North Senatorial District at the National Assembly, to 7 years imprisonment and ordered that his two companies, Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd, be wound up in line with the provisions of Section 22 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2021.

Nwoboshi is the Senate committee chairman on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. He defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC last year.

The Appellate Court’s ruling followed the success of the appeal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, challenging the judgment of Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court which on June 18, 2021 2018 discharged and acquitted the defendants of a two count charge of fraud and money laundering.

EFCC had arraigned the three defendants over the acquisition of a property named Guinea House, Marine Road, in Apapa, Lagos, for N805 million.  Part of the money paid to the vendor, precisely a sum of N322 million transferred by Suiming Electrical Ltd on behalf of Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd , was alleged to be part of proceeds of fraud.

But in his judgment, Justice Aneke held that the prosecution failed to call vital witnesses and tender concrete evidence to prove the elements of the offences for which it charged the defendants.

Justice Aneke said the evidence of PW2 “proved that the third defendant obtained a loan of N1.2 billion from Zenith Bank for purchase of additional equipment and as provision of working capital.

“It also proved that the loan of N1.2 billion together with interest of N24 million was properly granted to the third. Nothing else was proved by the complainant or prosecutor in this case,” the judge said.

He claimed a fatal blow was dealt the case of the prosecution by its failure to call officials of Sterling Bank “to testify and probably tender exhibits F and F10”.

Consequently, he discharged and acquitted the defendants.

Abuja: FCTA Begins  Demolition Of Houses Blocking Drainages

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Demolition of Houses in Abuja

By Ayodele Oni

Not less than 200 houses are on target as the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Friday commenced demolition of structures which tend to obstruct free flow of water.

The FCTA, which is handling the project, had earlier advised owners of those structures, especially houses to relocate as heavy rains set in.

Bulldozers were rolled  in to demolish structures obstructing water channels in the Dutse Makaranta area of the territory as over 135 of such structures, including residential buildings and entertainment centres were demolished.

It was gathered that the area has been prone to flooding and the 2022 Flood Outlook painted a gloomy scenario for its residents.

Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Mr Attah Ikharo who led the demolition team, explained that government would continue to serve notices on the affected residents and that while many of them had evacuated their belongings, there were few others that refused to leave.

According to him, “We were here on Wednesday and commenced operations. We came back on Friday to remove other structures along the flood plains.

“Like I said earlier, we thank God the rain fell last Sunday afternoon at about 1pm and 2pm when many had left the churches and schools were closed.

“The water got to the window levels but thank God the people had fled. The casualties here would have been extremely massive. The casualty figure would have been very alarming if the rain had fallen at night.

“Those that were staying here before told us that most of these areas used to be football field, but somehow, somebody sold the football field to them to build structures and that is very painful and pathetic.

“We targeted pulling down over 100 buildings and structures, but from what we have seen now, having entered inside the street, there could be over 200 structures that may need to give way.

“From what we did on Wednesday and Friday, we have so far pulled down over 135 structures with many billed to still go down.

“The more we go in, the more we see extremely damp structures around the banana plantation.

“You see houses that are damp up to the roofing level and this is unacceptable. It is not safe and we won’t allow flood to occur before we take measures.”

Ekweremadu: Court Orders NIMC, Immigration To Release Kidney Donor’s Biodata

By
Uche Mbah
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David Ukpo Nwamini and Ike Ekweremadu

By Uche Mbah

A federal high court in Abuja Friday ordered the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to provide the certified true copy (CTC) of the biodata of David Ukpo, the kidney donor at the centre of the problem of Ike Ekweremadu, Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, with the United Kingdom.

Ekweremadu alongside his wife has been detained and charged to court  by the London Metropolitan Police for alleged child trafficking and attempted organ harvesting.

There has been controversies over the age of Ukpo, who is currently under protective custody of the UK authority.

The British Metropolitan Police claims he’s 15, while the Ekweremadus said he’s 21.

The Bank Verification Number, BVN,l however indicates he’s  21.

In a suit filed June 27,2022, by Ekweremadu’s counsel, Adegboyega Aromolo, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, the Ekweremadus pleaded with the court for an order directing the NIMC to produce the certified true copy (CTC) of Ukpo’s biodata.

The Court was presided over by Justice Inyang Ekpo.

Details later…

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