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Category: News

Just In: NLC, TUC Declare Nationwide Strike November 14

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have jointly announced a nationwide strike, scheduled to commence on November 14, 2023.

This decision emerged following an extraordinary National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday.

The two prominent labour unions have also initiated nationwide mobilization efforts to rally their members and allies in preparation for the impending strike.

The call for this industrial action is rooted in the recent assault on NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, in Imo State, which sparked widespread outrage within the Organized Labour community.

The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Mohammed Barde, has been accused of complicity in the attack on Ajaero in Owerri, the state’s capital.

Last Friday, Organized Labour issued a five-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the replacement of the police commissioner and seeking accountability for the attack on Ajaero.

While Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is seeking re-election, denied involvement in the assault on the labour leader, Organized Labour also demanded the arrest and prosecution of some of the governor’s aides and thereafter threatened a nationwide industrial strike if their demands were not met.

In response to mounting pressure, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, redeployed Commissioner Barde, citing the need for neutrality in the lead-up to the Imo State governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023.

11/07/2023
Terrorists Kill 14, Injure 17 In Fresh Katsina Attack

In a disturbing incident, terrorists struck the peaceful community of Rugar Kusa in Musawa Local Government, Katsina State, resulting in the tragic loss of 14 lives and leaving 17 others injured.

The attack, which extended for over an hour, occurred late Sunday night, with the assailants arriving at the village around 11:00 p.m.

The unsuspecting community was in the final stages of a Maulud celebration, a customary observance held by followers of Kadiriyya, Tijjaniya, and Shi’ites to mark the birth date of Prophet Muhammad.

Tragically, the festivities were disrupted when the terrorists, armed with guns, unleashed indiscriminate gunfire upon the gathering.

A community member, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns, described the terrifying events.

“Several people had retired for the night when the gunmen’s assault jolted even those in deep slumber. Some of the assailants encircled the procession, while others penetrated deeper into the community to perpetrate more violence. Many individuals, including those attending the Maulud procession, sought refuge in the nearby bush,” the witness explained.

The aftermath of the attack revealed a grim scene, with 14 confirmed casualties, but concerns lingered regarding the fate of those who might have been abducted or remain unaccounted for.

In the wake of the incident, a number of individuals with gunshot wounds were transported to the Ahmadi Rimi Orthopaedic and Special Hospital in Katsina for medical attention.

The Katsina Police Command reported a slightly lower casualty count, stating that nine individuals lost their lives, while 16 others sustained injuries.

According to Abubakar Sadik, the command’s spokesperson, seven people were initially killed during the attack, with two more succumbing to their injuries while receiving medical care.

The North-western states of Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi have been grappling with a series of terrorist activities, underlining the pressing need for enhanced security and counter-terrorism measures in the region.

11/07/2023
Crude Oil Theft: Military Destroying Vessels To Conceal Evidence — Ned Nwoko

Senator Ned Nwoko, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment, has raised concerns about the military‘s practice of destroying vessels apprehended for carrying illegal goods or stolen crude oil, suggesting it is an attempt to conceal evidence.

Speaking in Abuja, he emphasized that the destruction of potential evidence in these cases makes little sense, unless there is complicity and compromise among those responsible for preventing such crimes.

Senator Nwoko expressed his frustration with the apparent illogicality of the situation, stating, “What is the point? It does not make any sense. You know, if somebody is found in possession of stolen goods, do you say, oh, the way to deal with this is to destroy it? No. You take it from them, you document it, you preserve it, you charge the culprits. And then you produce that in evidence against them in court and then ultimately return that product to the owner.”

As a member of the Senate Committee on Upstream Petroleum, Senator Nwoko raised the possibility that the military’s actions may be driven by compromises within their ranks.

He explained, “Well, I think the military are complicit. You know the reason they do this, because some of them might have compromised. They have been bought over because to load this kind of commodity vessels – the crude – it takes weeks sometimes because of the size of the vessels, it takes time.”

He further suggested that multiple parties may be involved in crude oil theft, including oil companies, producing companies, NNPC officials, the police, and more.

Notably, Senator Nwoko observed a common pattern among personnel in joint task forces, where their rapid accumulation of wealth raises suspicions of complicity in these criminal activities.

11/07/2023
Gov Soludo’s Father, Ichie Akukananwa 1 Of Isuofia Dies @92

Pa Simeon Soludo, father of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has died at the age of 92.

Mr Chris Aburime, the Press Secretary to Soludo said this in a statement on Monday.

Aburime said the elder statesman, popularly known as Ichie Akukananwa 1 of Isuofia in Aguata Local Governent Area, died in the early hours of Monday November 6.

He said Pa Soludo was survived by seven sons, eight daughters-in-law, 22 grand-children and six great-grandchildren.

He quoted the governor as saying that his late father lived a fulfilled life and died at the ripe age of 92.

The Press Secretary said further information about the burial arrangements would be communicated to the public in due course.

11/06/2023
Emefiele Must Be Released Or Produced By November 8, Court Orders EFCC

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of an FCT High Court has again ordered the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to either produce or release the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, on November 8.

Justice Adeniyi gave the first order on Friday after hearing an ex parte motion, on fundamental right marked M/122/2023 in a Motion on Notice with the number, FCT/HC/CV/040/2023, filed by Emefiele.

Unfortunately, the EFCC could not obey the order at the resumed sitting on Monday as the EFCC counsel, Farouk Abdullahai, told the court that the order was not understood.

He added that the applicant could not attach some documents to his affidavit.

Emefiele ‘s counsel, Matthew Burkaa, SAN, had earlier told the court that his client had been in detention of the Federal Government for 149 days.

He however, promised that he would attach the omitted documents which among others were the charge.

Responding, Abdullahi, counsel for EFCC, said the applicant had only been in EFCC custody for seven days.

After listening to their submissions, Justice Adeniyi gave a reiterated order for the release of the applicant or produce him for bail on Wednesday.

He further directed the applicant ‘s counsel to attach the documents omitted in support of their affidavit and serve parties.

He then adjourned the matter until Wednesday.

Emeifele was first detained from June, when he was removed as CBN Governor, by the Department of State Service (DSS) and later transferred to EFCC last week, seeking his release.

Emefiele, through his legal team, joined the Federal Government, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), EFCC chairman and the anti-corruption commission as respondents.

Meanwhile, Emefiele was scheduled to be arraigned by the Federal Government before Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court, Maitama, on August 17 alongside two others, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro and a company, April1616 Investment Limited.

They were to be arraigned on a 20-count charge bordering on procurement fraud to the tine of N6.9billion, conferment of advantage and conspiracy.

The arraignment could, however, not hold due to the absence of Yaro, who was said to be sick and the matter was adjourned August 23.

Due to the plea bargain Emefiele was said to be discussing with the Federal Government, the matter is yet to be heard till date.

11/06/2023
Alleged Certificate Forgery By Mba: Court Slams N5m Fine On NYSC

The Federal High Court in Abuja has awarded N5 million in damages against the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for falsely alleging that Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State had a fake discharged certificate.

In his judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo found the Director General of the NYSC and the corps guilty of misrepresentation of material facts.

The judge ruled that the certificate presented by Governor Mbah to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was genuine and validly issued by the NYSC.

The court also noted that Governor Mbah had been mobilized for service in 2001 but completed his service in 2003 after temporarily leaving to attend the Nigeria Law School. He was reinstated into the NYSC in 2003.

Additionally, the court mentioned that the evidence of Mbah’s service at a law firm was not challenged by the NYSC, and the corps should have charged him with forgery if they genuinely believed that they did not issue the NYSC certificate to him.

The judge concluded that the NYSC had acted in bad faith and was mischievous in denying Mbah’s NYSC certificate. Earlier, Governor Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer denying the issuance of a discharge certificate to him on January 6, 2003.

On May 15, the court issued an order restraining the NYSC from further engaging in such publication pending the determination of the case.

The NYSC, in response, filed a preliminary objection, arguing that Governor Mbah had not followed the required procedure of appealing to the president, as stipulated by the National Youth Service Corps Act, before filing the lawsuit.

The NYSC claimed that the failure to appeal to the president rendered the suit premature and outside the court’s jurisdiction.

In summary, the court ruled in favour of Governor Mbah, awarding him damages and ruling that the NYSC’s actions were in bad faith. The case arose from a dispute over the authenticity of Mbah’s NYSC certificate and the NYSC’s publication disclaiming it.

11/06/2023
Fire Guts Canadian Embassy In Abuja

In a shocking incident that unfolded shortly before noon on Monday, the High Commission of Canada to Nigeria building located on Diplomatic Drive in the Central Business District was engulfed in flames.

The fire raised concerns about potential disruptions to its services and consultations.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police spokesperson, Istifanus Bako, confirmed the fire, which lasted for several minutes.

Fortunately, the situation has now been successfully controlled.

The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, and authorities, including the police and sister agencies, are actively investigating the incident to determine its origin.

Thankfully, there have been no reported casualties or injuries at this time.

Responders are currently assessing the extent of the damage, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

11/06/2023
NAF Airstrikes Annihilate Terrorists’ Hideouts In North East, North West

The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in the North East and Operation Hadarin Daji in North West has destroyed several terrorists’ enclaves in recent operations across the theatres.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, on Sunday in Abuja.

Gabkwet said the operations were coordinated in collaboration with the land component and other security agencies within the operational theatres.

He said the troops had ensured that terrorists, insurgents and other criminal elements operating in the two regions did not constitute significant security threats to innocent citizens within the regions.

In the North East, Gabkwet said the precision air strikes by the Air Component of OPHK on Nov. 3, led to the elimination of several terrorists at their meeting point near Degbawa, a reclusive location within the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno.

He said the air strikes were called for after intelligence revealed the sighting of some key terrorists’ figures and their foot soldiers arriving the location for a probable meeting.

According to him, their gathering in large number raised concerns, thus necessitating the need for an air interdiction on the location with devastating outcome for the terrorists.

“An assessment of the location after the strike revealed several terrorists were indeed eliminated.

“According to several sources, the particular location was carefully chosen by the terrorists to evade being easily detected, especially by NAF aircraft.

“The outcome of the strike, however, proved the terrorists wrong as their nefarious plans to meet were detected, thus leading to the success of the air strike.

“The sources also noted that this strike was a major setback for the terrorists who have, of late, been at the receiving end of the air and land components of OPHK,” he said.

NAF spokesman said that there were also strong indications that the terrorists were responsible for the recent attack on some locals in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe on October 31.

He said the terrorists had planned to meet to review the attack as well as plan the next line of attack on innocent civilians and other vulnerable targets.

In the North West, Gabkwet said the Air Component of OPHD has on Nov. 1, conducted series of successful airstrikes in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, targeting the hideout of a notorious terrorist kingpin, Babaru.

According to him, Babaru has been implicated in numerous acts of terrorism and banditry across Kankara and adjacent LGAs in Katsina State.

He said that the said Badaru was involved in the massacre of over 100 residents of Gidan Gari and Yarmai-Yadiya villages in Bakori Local Government Area on February 2.

According to him, the airstrikes destroyed Babaru’s hideout and eliminated several terrorists, though there was no confirmation if Babaru was among those neutralised.

Gabkwet said the air strikes were also carried out at the enclave of terrorist kingpin known as Mai Solar in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara.

According to him, the air strikes took out clusters of enclaves used as hideouts by the kingpin and his cohorts at the location.

“It was a successful strike as few survivors were observed fleeing the scene of the strike. There is no confirmation if Mai Solar was among the terrorists eliminated,” he said.

11/05/2023
Recent Attack On Joe Ajaero Violates His Human Rights- NASU

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has strongly condemned the recent attack on Mr. Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The union’s reaction to the incident was conveyed through a statement signed by its General Secretary, Mr. Peters Adeyemi, in Abuja on Sunday.

Ajaero fell victim to the attack in Imo State on November 1 when he traveled to the Southeastern state to declare a mass protest against alleged anti-labour practices.

The Witness had reported that Ajaero was subsequently detained by the police, although the police claimed that they took him into custody to protect him from further attacks by hoodlums.

Adeyemi firmly asserted that the attack on the union leader amounted to “a violation of trade union rights as well as the human rights of Ajaero.”

He emphasized that the rights exercised by Ajaero in Owerri, as the leader of Nigeria’s working people, are guaranteed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) and International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions.

“Nigeria, as an ILO member-state, has ratified ILO Conventions on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, 1948 (No.87), and the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, 1949 (No.98),” Adeyemi said, pointing out that the Imo government has been involved in unfair labour practices, as it has failed to pay salaries and pensions, making it unjustifiable to attack workers’ union leaders who inquire about the non-payment of these dues.

He noted that Ajaero was on a solidarity visit to the workers in Imo and should not have been subjected to treatment “common in Nigeria only during military regimes.”

NASU further rejected the claims that Ajaero was held under “protective custody” for his own benefit and called on President Bola Tinubu to initiate a thorough investigation into the incident.

The union concluded by saying that it firmly believes that such incidents should not deter the exercise of fundamental human rights, including those related to labour and trade union activities.

11/05/2023
Police Rescue Former INEC Staff From Kidnappers, Arrest 4 Suspects

*Fourth Suspect Arrested While Hiding In Girlfriend’s Ceiling

The Police Command in Cross River State has rescued a former staff member of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shortly after her abduction at her residence in Calabar on Saturday.

The command’s spokesperson, Irene Ugbo who gave the confirmation on Sunday, said the commissioner commended the gallantry of the officers involved in the operation.

She stated that four suspects were arrested during the operation while two vehicles were recovered in the process.

She said that the command’s Anti Cultism and Kidnapping Squad (ACKS), led by SP Chukwuma Ogini, had swung into action following a distress call on her abduction at Mathias Oje Avenue in Calabar Municipality.

Ugbo commended the bravery of Njangachang youths in the locality, who assisted in the apprehension of the suspects.

The suspects had arms, ammunition and charms during the operation.

She reiterated the Commissioner, Gyogon Grimah’s resolve to rid the state of crimes and criminalities.

“We still want to state that no Kidnapper or criminal will find the state a safe haven for crimes and criminalities again.

This is the resolve of the commissioner as directed by the Inspector General of Police,” she stated.

Meanwhile, the fourth suspect was hiding in the ceiling of his girlfriend’s house in Calabar when he was arrested.

According to the Police, he has confessed that the victim’s tenant initiated the abduction.

Police spokesperson, SP Irene Ugbo, confirmed the arrest of the fourth suspect in the abduction of Mrs Caroline Bassey, who the police rescued hours after the abduction.

“The suspect was unsuspicious that officers of the Anti-Cultism and Kidnapping Squad were on his trail until he was apprehended at about 5 a.m.

“He has confessed to being the mastermind of Mrs Bassey’s kidnap. He identified Bassey’s tenant as the person who contracted him and his gang to kidnap the victim,’’ Ugbo said.

11/05/2023