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Riskuwa Shehu Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has approved the deployment of five Resident Electoral Commissioners to Edo ahead of the September 19 governorship election in the state. Among those posted to Edo is Kano State REC, Prof Riskuwa Shehu, known to have conducted one of the most violent and fraudulent governorship elections in Nigeria. Shehu was also involved in the November 16 Kogi State governorship election. Riskuwa Shehu Recall that the 2019 governorship election in Kano supervised by Arab-Shehu was marred by violence and fraud in which about 10 people were reportedly killed. Few days before polls, a video showing the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Abbas, describing the election as “do or die” went viral on the Internet. In the short video, the party chairman also assured supporters that his party would provide maximum protection for members even if it means ensuring the dismissal of ...

A human rights activist and Kaduna-based businessman, Muhammad Mahdi Shehu, who exposed a N52bn security votes fraud in Kastina State, has been summoned by the Department of State Services. SaharaReporters gathered that the invitation comes few hours after a closed-door meeting between the Director-General of the DSS, Magaji Bichi, and Secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Mustapha Inuwa. The anti-corruption activist is scheduled to appear at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday. SaharaReporters recall that Shehu had in July petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State for alleged misappropriation and misapplication of over N52bn spent as security vote in the state from June 2015 to April 29, 2020. He stated that while Katsina was battling with insecurity, the Masari-led government spent hundreds of millions of naira on frivolities. The businessman also asked Masari to resign his position as go...

The Southern, Middle Belt and Northern Minorities Forum has asked the Nigerian Government to stop the harassment and intimidation of reknown critics including Omoyele Sowore, who has been restricted to Abuja through a very stringent bail condition in order to break his spirit. SMBNMF in a statement by its President, Sidney Imohbio, asked the government to immediately let Sowore off the hook without any conditions. The statement reads, “We call for the immmediate and unconditional release of Mr Omoyele Sowore. It is not certain that Sowore is a victim of political persecution. He is being held under no known law. The state have failed to prove a case of treason against him. “Nigeria is keeping Sowore as a political prisoner. His outing in the last presidential election inspite of his lack of funds and his dependent on the will of ordinary Nigerians. The government is afraid of his rising profile and his prospect in future elections. “It appears there is a conscious move to ki...

President Muhammadu Buhari’s praise singer, Dauda Kahutu popularly known as Rarara, has received not less than N57m to release a new song in favour of the President. Kahutu got the funds less than 48 hours after asking for money to release a song in favour of the President. The singer, who was in 2019 appointed as National Director of Music for the Buhari 2019 Presidential Support Committee, on Friday in a video on social media solicited funds, asking each person to donate N1,000 before he releases the song. He also said financing the new song will show that there was no suffering and that Buhari’s government was doing well.  In the video, the praise singer said, “I will sing a new song in praise of Buhari until Northerners paid for it.”  He went on to read out an account number into which donations will be sent Less than 48 hours after releasing the video, SaharaReporters gathered that the praise singer had raised a huge sum running into millions of naira. Some ...

Name: Hannah Aina Phone Number: +234 703 301 5242 Email: Address: Company: Job Title: Notes: Group(s): My Contacts Date Added: September 13, 2020 at 10:59AM

Abubakar Malami A new gazette by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), which supposedly weakens the powers of the Nigerian Bar Association, has caused division among some Senior Advocates of Nigeria and lawyers in the country. Malami, according to PUNCH, amended the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007, removing the requirement for the NBA stamp and seal on court processes. Abubakar Malami Before now, membership of the NBA was compulsory for all lawyers and the stamps and seals were sold at N4,000 for 72 pieces and were given upon payment of NBA dues. Without the stamp, a lawyer could not submit any document or letter to the court and the sale of the stamp and seal was one of the major sources of NBA’s revenue. However, with the amendment of the process by Malami, the use of the stamps was no longer necessary.  This also implies that persons, who are not members of the NBA including non-lawyers, are...

NAFDAC DG, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye. The Nigerian Government has begun moves to end the packaging and selling of alcohol in sachet and small bottles. To reduce availability and curb abuse, effective January 31 2020, producers of alcohol in sachets and small bottles are to reduce production by 50 per cent of capacity prior to January 2020. Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, in a statement said the packagings had led to an increase in the abuse of alcohol in the country. NAFDAC DG, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye. She made reference to the data by the World Health Organisation that claimed alcohol consumption contributes to three million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people. She said, “NAFDAC under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Health, once again, wishes to bring to the attention of the general public, concerns relating to the sale and consumption of ...

Doctors on duty The Joint Health Workers Union has asked its members to withdraw their services and embark on a nationwide strike starting from midnight on Sunday, September 13, 2020. JOHESU in a statement said the strike was necessitated by the inability of the Nigerian Government to meet its demands. Doctors on duty Google The health workers are asking the government to address the failures and decaying infrastructure in the health sector and pay the shortfall in COVID-19 hazard allowances for their members. The leadership of the health workers had on Friday met with representatives of the government on the industrial action. After the meeting, the unions demanded to consult its members. The statement reads, “In the light of the above, the meeting of our expanded NEC was held Saturday 12 September, 2020. And at the end of the meeting, which was held both physically and virtually, it was unanimously agreed that since nothing concrete was achieved at the said meeting with...

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, over their failure to publish reports of all completed public hearings and corruption probes by the National Assembly. SERAP is also suing NASS for not disclosing the number of probes that have resulted in any indictment of suspects. In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is arguing that, “The court ought to compel Lawan and Gbajabiamila to publish the reports of hearings and probes and to send the reports to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for prosecution. Granting the reliefs sought would bolster public trust and confidence in the lawmakers’ oversight functions, and dispel the perception that many of the hearings and probes are politically motivated and serve personal interest, rather than the general public interests.” SERAP is also arguing that, “Nigerians have the right ...

SOC Okenwa Terwase Akwaza better known as Gana was a notoriously dangerous political thug turned armed robber in Benue State. He was said to be a dare-devil bandit used by politicians in the state to rig elections before he dabbled into more profitable venture of armed robbery and kidnapping. Gana had terrorised and tormented many inhabitants of Benue State so much that a N50m bounty was placed on his head by the state and federal governments. Gana met his waterloo recently in Gboko town when a military unit mounting a road check-point killed him after a shoot-out as the army command declared officially. About 40 members of Gana’s gang were captured in the process and taken prisoners. He died while on his way to the state capital city of Makurdi where he was to have surrendered and embraced the amnesty programme organised by the state government. SOC Okenwa Akwaza was reported to have had five wives! And his children could have been up to a dozen (if not a score) if the wives...

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu The Lagos State Government has said that public and private schools in the state would resume on September 21, with JSS 3 and SSS 2 students returning to the classrooms first, before students in other levels. Commissioner for Education in the state, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, disclosed this in a statement by Head, Public Affairs of the ministry, Kayode Abayomi, on Sunday. Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu The commissioner assured parents that announcements for the reopening of the other classes would be announced soon. The statement reads, “This phased approach to opening will enable public schools to meet COVID-19 social distance rules and safety protocols and will help us watch the behaviour of the pandemic as we gradually open up our schools. “The present JSS 3 and SSS 2 students in public schools in the State are to resume classes from Monday, 21st of September, 2020. The resumption will permit the present JSS 3 students who are already in...

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has petitioned the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia, over the decision of an Upper Sharia Court in Kano State sentencing a musician, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, to death for blaspheming Prophet Mohammed. Falana is asking the commission to exercise its mandate and authority under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and pursuant to the commission’s order 100(1) of the commission’s Rules of Procedure, 2020. Sharif-Aminu, aged 22, was in August sentenced to death for committing blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed in a song he circulated via WhatsApp.  He was accused of committing the offence in March 2020 after, which protesters burnt down his family house. Falana in the petition dated 8 September, 2020, described the judgment as gross violation of the convict’s rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and expression. See Also Human Rights Musician Accuse...