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Many Killed, Others Wounded As Military Accidentally Bombs Community

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Many Killed, Others Wounded As Military Accidentally Bombs Community

A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet has killed eight people in Buhari community, Yunusari LGA of Yobe State. Several other villagers sustained injuries and currently receiving medical attention at a government health facility in Geidam.

According to a resident of Damaturu, Saleh Ibrahim, the jet shelled the village in the early hours of Wednesday when the villagers were preparing to go to the weekly market in Geidam, a neighboring local government area, 200km from Damaturu.

The resident added, “The villagers were already set to go to the market at Geidam early in the morning when suddenly the jet appeared from nowhere and started shelling the village.

“Instantly, three people died. The sound of gun shots scared the villagers and they ran for safety, but others sustained injuries as a result. Some were attempting to attend to the dead people when they also got hit by bullets from the jet.”

“As of 5pm, the number of dead people is nine, while over 30 people who sustained injuries are receiving treatment at Geidam General Hospital.

“Buhari village is in Yunusari LGA, but Buhari village is closer to Geidam, and the entire Yunusari LGA doesn’t have facilities to attend to the injured victims.”

Meanwhile, the State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has commiserated with families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate air strike on Buhari village in Yunusari LGA of the state.

Read Governor Mai Mala Buni’s full statement on the attack below:

Gov. Buni Mourns Victims of Air Strike, Assures Anvestigation of lncident

Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has commiserated with families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate airstrike on Buhari village in Yunusari Local Government Area of the state.

He said although it could have been an accident or mistaken target, but the government will join hands with the security agencies to unravel the root cause of the incident.

Governor Buni directed his special adviser on security affairs to liaise with the Nigerian Air Force and the Multi-National Joint Task Force to look into the unfortunate airstrike.

“Government will work closely with the security forces especially the Nigeria Airforce to establish what actually happened,” Governor Buni assured. “This is very important and necessary for us to guard against future occurance and to safeguard the lives of our people.”

Governor Buni also assured the preparedness of his administration to work with all security forces to ensure the safety of the state.

Meanwhile, the governor has directed government hospitals in Geidam and Damaturu to offer free medical services to those who sustained injuries from the airstrike.

Similarly, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has been directed to provide relief materials to cater for the immediate needs of the families of the deceased persons and other members of the community.

Signed
Mamman Mohammed,
DG, Press and Media Affairs.

Lai Mohammed: Nigeria Will Lift Ban On Twitter In A ‘Few Days’

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Lai Mohammed: Nigeria Will Lift Ban On Twitter In A ‘Few Days’

The Nigerian government says it will lift the ban on Twitter in a ‘few days.’

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this while answering questions from State House journalists at the end of Wednesday’s cabinet meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mohammed said progress is being made in talks with the social media giant.

“I think even Twitter itself two days ago gave what I will call a progress report on our talks with them, and I think if I want to quote them rightly it has been productive and quite respectful.

“And as to the qualifying word for when or how soon, I want to assure you that the time that Twitter operation has been suspended, between the time it has been suspended, and when it will be restored is by far, much, much shorter.

“That I can assure you that it is by far in other words, if the operation has been suspended for about 100 days now, I can tell that we’re just actually talking about a few, just a few more days now,” he said.

Nigeria suspended the operations of Twitter on June 4, two days after the microblogging site took down a controversial tweet by Buhari.

The Government cited “persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence,” as reason for the ban that took effect almost immediately.

The government also directed broadcasters to suspend “patronage” of the platform. It described its further use by the broadcast stations as “unpatriotic.”

Media and human rights advocates condemned the directive of the broadcast regulator, calling it “illegal” and an attack on press freedom, but major broadcast stations stayed off Twitter to comply with the order.

In August, the Nigerian government said the temporary ban on Twitter may be lifted soon with Mr Mohammed saying talks were still ongoing and many agreements had been reached with Twitter.

The ban on Twitter has been condemned by many Nigerians, civic groups and the international community.

The international community said the government’s ban of Twitter portrays Nigeria in a bad light before its citizens, potential investors and business owners.

More than 100 days after the ban, activists insisted the ban was undemocratic, but authorities said it was to protect the corporate existence of the country.

Opposition leaders and civil society organisations have also criticised the government for the ban and some rights groups have sued the Nigerian government at the ECOWAS Court.

It had been reported that the ECOWAS court, in an interim order, “restrained the government and its agents from unlawfully imposing sanctions or doing anything whatsoever to harass, intimidate, arrest or prosecute Twitter and/or any other social media service provider(s), media houses, radio and television broadcast stations, the plaintiffs and other Nigerians who are Twitter users, pending the hearing and determination of this suit.”

ASUU Seeks To Resume Strike Over FG’s Failure To Meet Demands

By
Akintomide Aroso
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ASUU Seeks To Resume Strike Over FG’s Failure To Meet Demands

The Yola zone of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) has called on the public to prevail on the federal and state governments to accede to the union’s legitimate demands to avoid the resumption of the suspended strike.

The zonal coordinator, Reuben Jonathan, said the zone had met and reviewed the MoA of December 23, 2020, signed with the federal government; the issues related to the draft renegotiation agreement of May 2021 and other matters affecting the university system generally.

According to him, the zone appreciated the federal government’s action in sending visitation panels to public universities.

“The zone expects the speedy release of the whitepaper of visitation panels to the universities for the benefit of the university system,” he said.

He called on the state governors, as visitors to state universities, to also emulate the federal government and immediately constitute visitation panels to state-owned universities.

“The Federal Government team and ASUU concluded the renegotiation meeting in May 2021, but up till now, our Union is in dark as to the position of the renegotiation with the federal government.

“This lukewarm attitude and deliberate delay have triggered agitations from our members,” he said.

While funding in Nigerian public universities is grossly inadequate, he said that the situation is most worrisome in state-owned universities.

“The inefficiency and over-reliance on the Federal Government’s interventions by state-owned universities, emanating from ASUU struggles, have led the state governors to develop a lukewarm attitude towards funding state universities,” he said.

The zonal coordinator further expressed concern over the non-disbursement of the N30 billion naira revitalisation fund as agreed in the 2020 MoA with the union.

Notorious Boko Haram, Islamic State Leader Killed In Borno

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Notorious Boko Haram, Islamic State Leader Killed In Borno

The leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, has been killed in Borno State.

According to Daily Trust, the terror leader was killed in the last week of August, this year.

Al-Barnawi was the son of Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, who was also killed by security forces in 2009 when he launched a war against the Nigerian state.

Al-Barnawi was said to have been trained by ISIS for years ahead of his ascension to power.

Al-Barnawi sustained vicious attacks especially on military facilities and troops in the Lake Chad region while at the same time strategising on how to subdue Shekau.

He controlled large swathes of territory in Northern Borno, imposed taxes on the local population and earned serious income from fishing asides from the financial and material support he got from ISIS.

Al-Barnawi’s fighters had also destroyed many military super camps in Dikwa, Monguno, Abadam and Marte in Borno; and other military facilities around Geidam in Yobe State.

He equally established many cells on the Lake Chad islands and surrounding villages from where his fighters launched attacks on Nigeria, Niger and Chad.

His death in August, after that of Shekau in May 2021, was seen as a turning point in the war against terror even as security experts had called for sustained offensive towards decimating the two rival groups to have a lasting peace after twelve years of uncertainty and carnage.

There are two versions of the story of Al-Barnawi’s death with one saying he was killed by Nigerian troops and the other version saying he died during a rival war within the ISWAP camp.

The first version revolved around the information shared among some security operatives in the theatre of operation, which indicated that he was ambushed by troops during which four or five top ISWAP leaders and many foot terrorists loyal to him were also killed.

A source said he was killed around Bula Yobe, a community near the Borno/Yobe states border along Mobbar and Abadam axis that leads to the Lake Chad area.

However, a different source said he was ambushed and killed at a place that could be accessed from Yale, Bama, Banki junction through the Kashimbri-Gulumba.

Vice-Chancellor: “ATBU Is Helping To Solve Farmers, Herders Clashes”

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
Vice-Chancellor:

The Vice-Chancellor, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Prof. Hamisu Muhammad, has said that the institution is working on helping to address the security challenges facing the country, especially with the farmer, herders clashes.

The Professor made this statement during a five-day Grant Winning Workshop for Tertiary Institutions in the North-East, organized by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in Bauchi on Wednesday.

According to him, a Diary Center set up by the university will help train herders on the best way to keep their cattle and raise them without them moving from one point to the other, thereby, solving the crises that always come up between herders and the farmers.

The Professor said, “Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi is trying to solve the issue of insecurity in this country. People don’t even look at it but as universities, we are supposed to find solutions to this issue.

“One of the things that we are doing is that we have got a Center of Excellence on Diary at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and our target is to show herders that the best way to keep your cattle is just to keep it around your house, feed it well and you’ll find out that you don’t have to move around. This is the little science to it, the more the cows move, the more they lose energy but the more they stay in one place the more they grow fatter.

“And we want our cows to grow fatter and give higher production and more milk. These are issues we have to leverage on and work on. We are working on educating the herders on this. The university is in the forefront of what we call Nigerian Diary.”

The Vice-Chancellor said that another problem the university is working towards addressing is social standards noting that a Center of Excellence had been established in the institution to achieve that.

“Secondly, the university through Research and Development is trying to develop what we call Science Park. As we look at our society, there are a lot of problems, so we wrote a proposal and we got a Center of Excellence in addressing social standards and procurement in this country. These are issues that are fundamental in the survival of this country and when we have social standards and procurement issues solved, I think we will go a long way,” he said.

He said that research and development cannot be overemphasized given its importance.

“Research and Development will bring a lot of development to the university, it brings stability to the university as well as a sense of belonging to academics and these are issues we must address.

“Teaching to produce first-class students is over. What we are trying to do is to improve our living conditions and what can we do to give back to the society. These are issues that we feel that the best thing to do is to look back.

“The big equations, the big theories don’t apply to us here, but what is important to us in this part of the country is we’ll look at our dynamics and see what we need.

“We need to look at agriculture which we call agribusiness not only the culture, we’ll look at communications that is ICT. These are two virgin fields that are untapped that we can explore and move forward,” he said.

The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, expressed concern on the level of performance of the North-East in research, grant writing application and accessing grants adding that it has been discouraging.

He said that the workshop was aimed at exposing the North-East on how best to write and win the grants from TETFund and other agencies.

Bogoro said, “For too long, we academics have been operating in our silos, clapping with one hand. That is unacceptable. No wonder we are not getting the outcome of research that solves the problems of the society.

“Precisely why our universities have failed to rise to the level of respectability that has been associated with the most competitive economics and the greatest of civilizations. This has to change. I’m not happy about the performance of the North-East in respect of research, grant writing application and success.”

Hushpuppi: Police Minister Says Buhari Will Decide Abba Kyari’s Fate

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Hushpuppi: Police Minister Says Buhari Will Decide Abba Kyari’s Fate

Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, the Minister of Police Affairs, says President Muhammadu Buhari will make the final decision on DCP Abba Kyari’s involvement in an international money laundering scheme.

Kyari is the former head of the Special Police Crimes Unit.

“What Nigerians need to know is that the police agencies have done their job properly and have done everything clearly. All that remains now is for President Muhammadu Buhari to decide the course of action to be taken on the matter,” Dingyadi said in an interview with Channels TV on Tuesday.

Dingyadi explained that the Police had investigated the allegations levelled against Kyari and submitted the report to the Inspector General of Police.

Dingyadi added that the committee’s report and recommendations had been sent to the Minister of justice. It would be presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before a final action would be taken.

In August, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said that due process would be followed in Kyari’s extradition process to be decided by the courts.

Peoples Gazette had earlier reported how the FBI indicted Kyari in a multimillion-dollar fraud involving notorious Internet fraudster Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas and how a U.S. court ordered the arrest of Kyari.

Mr Kyari denied his involvement in the scheme, saying that he collected money to help Hushpuppi sew some clothes and later said he acted as a debt collector for Hushpuppi in a Facebook post which has since been deleted.

Kyari has been suspended and replaced by the Nigerian police.

EFCC Personnel Opens Fire On Hotel Guests, Grope Women During Raid

By
Akintomide Aroso
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EFCC Personnel Opens Fire On Hotel Guests, Grope Women During Raid

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission conducted a series of raids of suspected internet fraudsters around Abeokuta on Monday, opening fire on hotel guests and groping women in the genitals, Peoples Gazette has reported.

Witnesses said the armed EFCC operatives entered Abeokuta at about 4:00 a.m. on September 13 in Toyota Hilux buses and made their way to at least three hotels and two nightclubs, including Dakdat Hotel, Cecilia Suites, and government-run Mitros Residences.

Adesba Night Club and Royal Mandarin Club were also said to have been attacked by the armed operatives who were pursuing suspected Yahoo Boys around the city. At least one suspect was hospitalised after being hit by bullets as he was trying to escape. Another suspect broke an arm after jumping through a fence more than 15 metres tall.

“My cousin was shot because he tried to escape from the hotel and we quickly drove him to a hospital where he was briefly treated before we moved him to Ilaro for full recovery,” a witness said under anonymity because he could be victimised as he bears the same last name with his wounded cousin who had checked into one of the hotels with his driver’s licence. “It was really bad because they operated like armed robbers and they were very fast with their activities.”

Another witness told reporters that electricity was disconnected before one of the hotels was raided and officers did not knock before pulling down doors, breaking into rooms and violating the privacy of both men and women.

EFCC
EFCC Officials used to illustrate the story

“They threw everybody into darkness before raiding our hotel,” a woman told reporters. “One of them with afro collected my iPhone and used the torchlight to check my vagina before dipping in one of his fingers.”

“I couldn’t say anything because I knew that my fiance is a Yahoo Boy and I have been warning him to stop but he didn’t listen to me and we are getting married soon,” she said, adding further that she won’t be pressing charges because it might complicate the case of her boyfriend who had already been taken into custody.

It was learnt that over 30 cars were seized at Mitros alone, a high number which witnesses linked to an infamous Internet fraud suspect who was celebrating his birthday at the facility. The hotels declined comments for fear of further victimisation by the EFCC.

Witnesses also said the EFCC agents wanted to enter Conference Hotel, Abeokuta, but realised that its proprietor, Gbenga Daniel, is now in the ruling APC and subsequently backed away after initially parking outside the hotel.

The EFCC zonal office in Ibadan swiftly moved to control information out of the controversial operation by circulating statements to its media partners on Monday night, saying 56 suspects were arrested without mentioning that some hotel guests were shot at or dropped.

The zone did not return a request from The Gazette seeking comments about whether or not they were aware that officers opened fire or violated women during the operation.

The anti-graft office has become heavily militarised in recent times after deemphasising its hiring of personnel who were once assigned anodyne tasks like ballot monitoring and road traffic management in favour of more ruthless officers from the police and other security agencies.

In July, the agency drew widespread outrage after its controversial operation at Parktonian Hotel, Lekki, Lagos was exposed. Several guests, including expatriates, complained that they were found naked after operatives broke into their rooms overnight.

Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa has continued to defend violence and abuse amongst his officers’, saying some hotels have been harbouring internet criminals who use women as shields to evade arrest when cornered by operatives.

Meanwhile, witnesses said Abeokuta has become ‘a ghost town’ with respect to activities of Yahoo Boys following Monday’s raids. It was learnt that the state capital was unusually quiet on Tuesday night, with women who had gone to some clubs for ‘Ladies’ Night’ leaving in disappointment after no men turned up.

Wike Appeals Appeal Court Judgment On VAT At The Supreme Court

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
Wike Appeals Appeal Court Judgment On VAT At The Supreme Court

The Rivers State government has filed appeal at the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling of the Court of Appeal in the Value Added Tax (VAT) dispute between the state and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Emmanuel Ukala, alongside three other senior lawyers approached the Supreme Court to file the notice of appeal.

The Attorney-General of Rivers State is said to be the appellant while the FIRS and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) are joined as respondents.

In the 10 grounds of appeal dated September 13, the state government informed the Supreme Court that it was dissatisfied with the decision of the appellate court delivered on Friday last week in which all parties were directed to maintain status quo.

The implication of the ruling of the appellate court was that parties were restored to their positions before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt granted the Rivers State government the right to collect VAT, instead of the FIRS on August 9, it explained.

Rivers State, however, alleged that the appeal court erred in law when it relied on the provisions of Section 6(6) of the Constitution and its inherent jurisdiction to found its decision to make an order to maintain status quo in the matter, pending the determination of an appeal filed by FIRS as one of the grounds of appeal.

It was noted that the appellate court in relying on its inherent jurisdiction to make the order failed to appreciate that its inherent jurisdiction cannot be applied in contravention of statutory provisions.

The relief of the Supreme Court was sought by the state government, to allow the appeal, set aside the decision of the appeal court which they complained about, and dismiss the oral application for interim injection made by the FIRS.

It also prayed the apex court to order that the substantive appeal by the FIRS and all other processes, be heard and determined by a new panel of the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had stopped Rivers and Lagos State governments from collecting Value Added Taxes (VAT).

Justice Haruna Simon Tsanami, in a ruling on Friday, directed that the law passed by Rivers State House of Assembly and assented to by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike must be put on hold.

The judge gave the order hours before Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State signed the law on VAT.

The appellate court’s decision followed an application by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), seeking a stay of execution of the order of a Rivers State high court in the matter.

Wike recently signed into law the bill on Value Added Tax (VAT) collection in the state.

He signed the bill which was recently passed by the state House of Assembly at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

He said the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had sufficiently addressed the illegality perpetrated by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

On Thursday, Lagos State House of Assembly also passed the bill after a unanimous vote by the lawmakers.

However, the court has issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the FIRS and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, from collecting, demanding, threatening and intimidating residents of Rivers to pay to FIRS, personnel income tax and VAT.

Both Rivers and Lagos state governments have already enacted legislations to give effect to the judgment in respect of VAT.

Ronaldo Scores As United Lose 2-1 To Young Boys

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
Ronaldo Scores As United Lose 2-1 To Young Boys

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 13 minutes into his Champions League return for Manchester United but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 10-man side crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Young Boys of Switzerland on Tuesday.

Ronaldo turned in from a Bruno Fernandes cross to give United the lead in Bern but Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent off on 35 minutes for a foul on Christopher Martins Pereira.

Swiss champions, Young Boys, equalised through Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu midway through the second half before Jordan Siebatcheu hit a 95th-minute winner after Jesse Lingard’s ill-advised backpass.

AFP

China To Support Taliban Government, Pledges Economic Cooperation

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
China To Support Taliban Government, Pledges Economic Cooperation

China has thrown its weight behind the newly formed interim Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman, Mohammad Naeem, said on Tuesday the Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan congratulated the government.

“Foreign Minister of the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ Taliban-led government, Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with Chinese Ambassador, Wang Yu.

“The Chinese Ambassador congratulated the new Afghan government and added that China will continue to develop and strengthen humanitarian, economic cooperation and relations with Afghanistan,” Mr Naeem tweeted.

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