Liverpool momentarily pushed away Manchester United from title conversations as the Merseyside lords mercilessly whipped the demons out of the Red Devils in their backyard.
Talismanic Mohamed Salah inspired the Jürgen Klopp side to a 5-0 demolition of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s boys in Sunday’s English Premier League game at Old Trafford. United’s star boy, Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, will spend the night in horror, hoping to forget the match in a jiffy.
Naby Keita gave Liverpool the lead at the Old Trafford barely five minutes into the game. Diogo Jota made it two for Liverpool in the 13th minute of the game leaving United struggling.
Enters Salah, who delivered a sterling display to compound issues for United with a brilliant goal in the 38th minute. He made it four for the visitors just before first half break, making a come back impossible for United.
Liverpool got their fifth goal early into the second half as the Egyptian fired in his third goal of the game.
Ronaldo escaped a red card after kicking the wrong ball around a Liverpool’s player’s groin but Paul Pogba was not so Lucky. He was shown the red card in the 60th minute, 15 minutes after he was introduced into to game for a rough tackle on the otherwise brilliant Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita.
With 21 points in nine games, Liverpool remain second on the EPL table behind Champions League champions, Chelsea, while United dropped to seventh position on the table with 14 points in nine games.
With a 12-day ultimatum handed the Federal Government by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for the “unconditional release” of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, failure of which the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State may not hold, the stage appears set for a seven-day lockdown of the South East Zone.
And the group has also warned residents of the zone against flouting the impending sit-at-home directive, stressing that doing so amounts to testing the resolve of the people on the Biafra project.
According to it, shutting down the area for “just for one week to secure our permanent freedom” is not such a high price to pay since “we have been enslaved and caged enough by the Fulani-controlled Federal Government of Nigeria and its allies.”
IPOB’s threat notwithstanding, political parties participating in the election are unperturbed about the threat from the secessionist group over the election, even as they insist that nothing would derail the process, especially since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already issued guidelines for the exercise.
Interestingly, while the Police High Command kept mum over the threat by IPOB when approached by The Guardian, key political parties are of the view that, with improved security, the campaigns are going on as scheduled.
Indeed, all attempts to get the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Commissioner of Police (CP), Frank Mba, to comment on the development proved abortive as he neither picked his calls, nor responded to messages to his mobile phone.
On its part, the INEC declined making any direct comment over the fresh threat.
However, its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, informed The Guardian that the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting, which comes up tomorrow (Monday, October 25) will deliberate on the way forward for the Anambra election.
Asked if INEC was considering postponing the election as a result of the insecurity in the state, Okoye said he could not comment on the issue until after the meeting.
IPOB in statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, yesterday, gave the Federal Government up till November 4 to release Kanu unconditionally, or it would commence a one-week lockdown in the region effective November 5.
The group explained that the one-week sit-at-home order, which would end on November 10, was to press for the release of their leader whom the Federal Government was prepared to keep in incarceration ad infinitum for nothing.
The statement read: “Following the adjournment of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court case to 10th of November 2021 by the Federal High Court, Abuja, we, the great movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), wish to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom that IPOB will lock down Biafra land from November 5 to 10 except Sunday, November 7, a day our people worship the Almighty God, Chukwu Okike Abiama, if the Nigeria government fails to release our leader unconditionally before November 4, 2021.
“Our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be released unconditionally on or before November 4, 2021 because he has not committed any offence known to any law. Failure to release our leader on or before November 4, 2021, our one-week sit-at-home begins on November 5, 2021 till November 10,” the group said.
The statement continued: “Although we quite understand the pains and adverse effects of this option on our people, we are compelled to take it to achieve a better purpose in the collective interest of Biafrans. We have taken time to analyse what transpired on October 21 when our leader was arraigned in court and discovered that the Federal Government is not sincere, and only wants to humiliate him and keep him perpetually in DSS custody to rot there.
“We all saw how lawyers, journalists, Igbo delegates and respected traditional rulers and other people who came from all around the world to witness his court case were restricted and denied access into the court premises by security agents who kept them outside under the scorching heat of the sun. What a humiliation and wickedness!
“We cannot accept that anymore. We can never allow our leader Onyendu Kanu to be tried secretly, and we can never also allow him to be tried under Sharia law under any guise. Nigeria must follow international laws in handling our leader.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is in a DSS dungeon today because of his passion for Biafra’s independence, and we must sacrifice all we can to ensure that he regains his freedom. He has sacrificed so much for us all, so we must be prepared to sacrifice a little for him. Unless the Federal Government releases him unconditionally before November 4, we shall sacrifice one week for him as a warning protest to convey to our oppressors, that Nnamdi Kanu represents over 70 million Biafrans. He is innocent of all the charges preferred against him. As long as he is in detention, our individual businesses do not matter so much because he is suffering for us all and we can’t abandon him.”
While regretting the inconveniences that the development may cause the people, it is stated that a “necessary sacrifice we need to make until we have our full independence. Nobody resident in Biafra land is expected to flout this directive as doing so amounts to challenging the will of the people on the Biafra project.
“This one-week sit-at-home is also to let our oppressors understand that we are not going to tolerate any plan to torment, or abandon our leader in the DSS’ custody through frivolous court adjournment. Any plans to subject him to trauma in detention through long adjournment while real terrorists and mass murderers are having fun across the country cannot fly.
Nnamdi Kanu must be freed because he committed no crime. Asking for referendum so that Biafrans will decide whether or not they want to continue as part of Nigeria is no crime. He should not suffer for seeking justice for his people.
“We have been enslaved and caged enough by the Fulani-controlled Federal Government of Nigeria and its allies. If we shut down Biafra land just for one week to secure our permanent freedom, it is worth the sacrifice. Everybody should brace up for this sacrifice.”
AS political parties remain unconcerned about the threat, the Political Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano, Chief Ifeatu Obi-Okoli, stated, however, that APGA was not leaving anything to chance in ensuring that it retains the state.
“These things are distractive and APGA cannot give in. There are over 5, 000 polling units in Anambra State, I don’t see how IPOB will go there and stop people from coming out to vote.
“There will be an election. The constitution did not specify that a certain number must vote in any election for the winner to emerge. The only thing is that there may be low turn out of voters, but that does not mean that Anambra people will not vote.
“We have seen several threats to the coming election, but none has marred the process. November 6 will come and go. It will not mark the end of Anambra State. Those issuing threats can continue to do so. What I think is that there should be dialogue on this agitation for Biafra. It is not all the time that we should resort to threats. The election has been fixed and nothing will stop it. We are looking forward to that date and I am fully convinced that Anambra people will not accept anything that can derail the process.”
THE Anambra State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Chief Okelue Madukaife, while reacting to the threat said that the party was going into the election to win.
“Everybody is looking forward to this election. INEC has issued its guidelines and APC is following it patiently. We cannot submit this process to any kind of threat. In the last one week, with improved security in the state, we are busy with our campaign rallies. It will even get better within the election week. There is no cause for alarm. We are not afraid of threats by anyone over the election. Our people will vote on November 6. I don’t see IPOB or any other group stopping us on that day”, he said.
ALSO, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cautioned that stalling the poll would be in the interest of no one in the state.
The Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, said, “We are not afraid of threats by anyone over the election in Anambra State … It is not even in the interest of those who are issuing the threats. We have seen similar threats before now, yet it did not stop us. We are going ahead with the election. So, the PDP is not bothered about what they are saying.”
ON his part, the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the forthcoming poll, Akachukwu Nwankpo, has called on the government to free Kanu and embark on dialogue as the best way out of the challenges fuelling agitations for self-determination.
Akachukwu said it would be tantamount to self-deceit for anybody to think that the incarceration of Kanu would end the agitation for self-determination and sweep the injustices pervading the states of the federation under the carpet.
According to him, the detention of Kanu would make millions of his cult followers restive, as he has built a large network of adherents some of who he might not be in a position to control, and who may resort to self-help, if he is still left behind bars.
Four officers of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LSNA) have been suspended for assaulting a protester during the #EndSARS memorial held on Wednesday.
The Agency said after investigating a viral video where its officers were seen assaulting Uber driver – Adedotun Clement, it found the officers guilty and sanctioned them.
The officers were publicly de-kitted and suspended from the agency for two months. As part of their punishment they will resume to another agency for behavioral evaluation.
“The Management of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA) has sanctioned all the Officers involved in the unlawful treatment of Adedotun Clement (the Uber Driver) during the ENDSARS anniversary protest,” a statement from LSNA reads.
The statement said after the conduct of an orderly room trial, the two officers and their supervising officers at the venue of the protest were “charged with disreputable conduct as a result of the assault on a member of the public.”
LSNA said its officers used pepper spray on the victim, “which is not a standard issue kit for officers of the Agency.”
The statement never said how the officers came about pepper spray.
The senior officials in-charge of the operations were suspended for a month, while their roles will be conducted by their deputies while they remain on suspension.
“The Commanding Superintendents and the Divisional Commander for Lagos Division of LNSC, under whose jurisdiction and command at the event were also suspended for one Month and their deputies are to act in their place until further notice,” the statement said.
The LSNA tendered a public apology to Adedotun “for the conduct of the officers,” adding that it places high premium on its relationship with the public as its greatest asset.
On Wednesday, scores of Nigerian youths observed the one year anniversary of the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS protest.
The memorial turned chaotic after the Police shot teargas at civilians and arrested protesters, including journalists at the protest ground.
Controversial politician, Dino Melaye, lied and never emerged the best graduating student at Baze University, according to Convocation documents.
The former senator who graduated with a second class lower had earlier claimed he was the “best graduating law student”, a lie peddled by one of his aide and corroborated by the politician on social media.
Mr Melaye’s aide Bode Gbadebo had first posted on Facebook that, “Senator Dino Melaye graduates from Baze University, emerges best graduating law student.”
However, the Baze University convocation list seen by The Gazette shows that Mr Melaye finished with a “weak second-class lower”. The ex-senator’s claim misled The Gazette and other outlets into publishing false report.
When The Gazette reached him on Sunday morning to ask him about his lie, he abruptly hung up the phone. Mr Melaye himself also didn’t return requests seeking comments about why he had to deceive Nigerians about his grades.
Mr Melaye’s dubious claim is despite residing abroad and rarely attending classes since losing his re-election into the national assembly in 2019. He was widely deemed as highly controversial for his combative conduct at the parliament, including numerous physical attacks on his colleagues.
Two suspects have been arrested by the police in connection with the murder of a 24-year-old lady, Joy Onoh.
Onoh, a graduate of the Benue State University, Makurdi, who was expecting to be mobilised for National Youth Service Corps, was killed by some criminals who posed as customers and lured her to their house and thereafter reportedly raped her to death.
The assailants were reported to have dumped her corpse at a nearby bush around the Federal Low Cost Estate, North Bank, a suburb of Makurdi where Police recovered her body last Wednesday.
Sources informed our correspondent that the suspects were arrested at a house close to where the remains of the lady was found.
One of the sources said the suspects were arrested through the help of neighbours who gave information about their activities on the day Joy was killed.
The source said, “One other thing that gave them out was the footsteps of people that were traced to the house, you know it rained in the early hours of the day the corpse of the lady was found.”
It was reliably gathered that the two suspects were currently being quizzed by the Police.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, a deputy Superintendent of Police, neither confirmed nor denied the report.
Ahead of the official launch of the e-Naira on Monday, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) held a crucial meeting on Saturday, top officials told reporters.
The Gazette learnt that those present at the meeting were the CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele and executives from the apex bank’s monetary policy, operations compliance, corporate communications and other departments.
Sources said the meeting was to put final touches on the e-Naira ahead of the launch on Monday, after criticisms that trailed the suspension of the initial launch on October 1.
Nigerians had expressed optimism the digital currency would be launched on October 1, before CBN announced its suspension hours before Independence Day celebration.
Spokesperson for the CBN, Osita Nwanisobi, had at the time said the suspension of the digital currency launch was to allow other events slated for the day to take place.
The CBN had earlier listed benefits of the e-Naira to include cross-border trade facilitation, financial inclusion, monetary policy effectiveness, improved payment efficiency, revenue tax collection, remittance improvement, and targeted social interventions.
The attack on the Abolongo correctional facility, Oyo town in Oyo State was planned and carried out by Fulani gunmen, believed also to be invading bandits, SaharaReporters has reported.
Top prison officials told reporters on Saturday that the gunmen carried out the attack to free the detained notorious Fulani warlord, Iskilu Wakili and other criminal Fulani herdsmen in the facility.
It was however reported that hundreds of inmates used the opportunity of the attack which was carried out around 10pm on Friday, to escape from the facility.
Sources told reporters that the gunmen, three days before the Friday invasion, struck in Ogbomoso, a neighbouring town to Oyo, and the security operatives were fully aware of their presence in the area.
“The attack in Oyo last night from the Ogbomosho axis was a well-coordinated Fulani attack aimed at securing the release of Wakili, the terrorist whom (Sunday Adeyemo) Igboho drove away from Ibarapa. I am informed by my staff and very reliable people that he was the object of that attack last night at about 10pm,” one of the top source said.
“The rest was just drama. My security staff told me the gunmen struck three days ago on the Oyo-Ogbomosho Road and around that time, their strange faces were also seen around an area the boys described to me. This was a well-coordinated attack with the objective to free Wakili and other Fulani inmates,” he added.
It had earlier been reported that the entrance to the prison was blown with an explosive device while security officials at the prison fled for their safety.
Speaking to reporters, the spokesman of the NCS, Olanrewaju Anjorin, had said; “Yes. It has been confirmed that the attack actually happened. And right now, the Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) and other top officers are assessing the situation. But I can confirm to you that the incident actually happened.”
On March 7, a joint team of Ibarapa security operatives, including the Oodua Peoples Congress, Vigilante, and other groups had arrested the notorious Fulani warlord terrorising Oyo communities, Wakili.
Wakili had been arrested after several attempts resulting in a gun battle.
There had been reports that Wakili and his gang were involved in the killings and kidnapping of several people in Ibarapa, Oke Ogun, Oyo State.
Wakili was nabbed barely seven days after his second-in-command, Isiaka Muhammadu, was arrested alongside four others.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, had confirmed Wakili’s arrest in a statement.
On June 7, no fewer than 17 persons were reportedly shot dead by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen at Igangan, in the Ibarapa North LGA.
Residents had said the hoodlums invaded the town on motorcycles around 11pm in an attack which continued until around 3am on Sunday.
They had fingered Wakili’s men on a revenge mission to be behind the attack.
At daybreak, residents reportedly saw corpses of children and adults littered some places in the town, while houses and vehicles, including a truck loaded with cassava flour, were razed by the attackers.
The Convener, Igangan Development Advocates, Oladiran Oladokun, had said the gunmen set fire to houses to drive out the people, after which they opened fire on them.
He said the government did not take the security seriously, adding that they had reported that the herdsmen were planning to attack them.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has alerted Nigerians of a new, high-risk and extremely-damaging Malware called Flubot currently in circulation.
According to the report, a malware is a generic word used to describe a virus or software, designed specially to “disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorised access to a computer system.”
In a statement released on Friday, NCC noted that it received information from the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), that Flubot “targets Androids with fake security updates and App installations.”
“Flubot impersonates Android mobile banking applications to draw fake web view on targeted applications and its goal transcends stealing personal data and essentially targets stealing of credit card details or online banking credentials,” NCC’s director of public affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde revealed.
“FluBot is circulated through Short Message Service (SMS) and can snoop “on incoming notifications, initiate calls, read or write SMSes, and transmit the victim’s contact list to its control centre”, NCC said in a statement.
“This malware attacks Android devices by pretending to be “FedEx, DHL, Correos, and Chrome applications” and compels unsuspecting users to alter the accessibility configurations on their devices in order to maintain continuous presence on devices.
“The new malware undermines the security of devices by copying fake login screens of prominent banks, and the moment the users enter their login details on the fake pages, their data is harvested and transmitted to the malware operators’ control point from where the data is exploited by intercepting banking-related One Time Passwords (OTPs) and replacing the default SMS app on the targeted Android device.
“Consequently, it secures admittance into the device through SMS and proceeds to transmit similar messages to other contacts that may be on the device it has attacked enticing them into downloading the fake app.”
However, the commission however released steps to take to prevent falling victim, which includes;
“Do not click on the link if you receive a suspicious text message, and do not install any app or security update the page asks you to install. Use updated antivirus software that detects and prevents malware infections.
“Apply critical patches to the system and application. Use strong passwords and enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) over logins. You will also need to change the passwords to all of your online accounts, with urgency, around your online bank accounts.
“If you have concerns that your accounts may have been accessed by unauthorised people, contact your bank immediately.”
There was outrage yesterday as the report of the Federal Government’s 24-man committee blamed the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, for the murder of Dr. Chike Akunyili, Ahmed Gulak and 177 others in the South east zone.
The panel also linked Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo (a.k.a Sunday Igboho) to a Boko Haram sponsor, Surajo Muhammad, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the United Arab Emirates for financing terrorism.
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneeze Ndigbo, IPOB, Afenifere Renewal Group, Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Yoruba Ronu and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), all condemned the report, describing it as incoherent, untenable and outright falsehood.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), made the allegations, yesterday, while reading out findings of the Presidential committee set up to investigate Igboho and Kanu.
The panel was made up of personnel of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Information, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Also, the government alleged that between 2013 and 2020, Igboho received N127 million from several financiers, including a federal lawmaker. Malami, however, refused to reveal the identity of the lawmaker.
The AGF said: “The report revealed that Igboho is a director and signatory to Adesun International Concept Limited registered on April 23, 2010. Adesun International Concept Limited also has Oladele Oyetunji and Aderopo Adeyemo as directors. Sunday Igboho is linked to 43 accounts in nine banks.
“The major financier of the fugitive and separatists was found to be a federal lawmaker in the National Assembly. A total sum of N127,145,000 was received by Igboho from his financiers between October 22, 2013, and September 28, 2020, through Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts.
“A total sum of N273, 198, 200 transaction outflows was recorded from Igboho’s account between March 15, 2013, and March 11, 2021. Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of N12,750,000 to Abbal Bako & Sons.”
According to Malami, Abbal Bako and Sons and its promoter, Abdullahi Usman, are suspects in the ongoing Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation.
“Abdullahi Usman is by way of financial transaction connected to Surajo Abubakar Muhammad (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism (Boko Haram). This report shows the nexus between separatists’ agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country,” Malami added.
He said that the report found connections of financial transactions between Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) and some construction companies and businesses, among others. On Kanu, the government accused him of being responsible for the murder of a former Presidential aide, Ahmad Gulak, and over 177 others in the Southeast.
Malami stated that consequent upon the instigating directives of Kanu, members of IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) carried out massive attacks on democratic institutions, especially facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with a view to hampering democratic process in Nigeria.
He said the attacks, which were carried out between October 2020 and June 2021, led to the killing of 175 security personnel.
The report read in part: “Acting on the instigating directives of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB members and #EndSARS protesters attacked and killed many security agents and destroyed several public and private properties, including police stations, public transport buses and other facilities across the country.
“On October 21, 2020, Kanu, through an online call-in radio programme (Radio Biafra), further instigated IPOB members to burn down all police stations and kill government security forces, which was carried out, and security personnel (especially police officers) were killed and public and private properties destroyed.
“In all, 175 security personnel were killed by IPOB/ESN, comprising 128 policemen, 37 military personnel and 10 other security operatives.”
The panel further alleged that IPOB/ESN were responsible for the killing of prominent Nigerians. “Recently, there were gruesome killings of traditional leaders: Obi 1 of Okwudor autonomous community; Eze E. Anayochukwu Durueburuo and Eze Sampson Osunwa of Ihebineowerre autonomous community as well as the killings of Dr. Chike Akunyili and eight others and the killing of Gulak on May 30, 2021.”
The committee found that as a consequence of Kanu’s broadcasts, there were 19 attacks on INEC facilities that resulted in the destruction of offices as well as burning of 18 INEC logistical vehicles, several election materials, equipment and ICT gadgets in Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo states.
The panel claimed that 164 police stations and formations, including police headquarters, Owerri, Imo State, were attacked by IPOB/ESN, leading to the death of 128 policemen while 144 were injured and 628 vehicles were destroyed.
According to the report, 396 firearms and 17,738 ammunition were carted away during the IPOB/ESN attacks.
“There were three IPOB/ESN attacks on Nigerian Correctional Service, including the Headquarters of NCoS, Owerri, Imo State where 1,841 inmates escaped. That Headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Umuahia, Abia State was also attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one officer.” Malami stated that having received the report, the Federal Government remained determined to have a peaceful Nigeria.
“The Federal Government will do the needful, within the context of the legal provisions, in ensuring that the matter is given the deserved attention and those found guilty will be made to face the wrath of the law,” he said.
In the reaction of YCE to the report, the Secretary General, Dr. Kunle Olajide, told The Guardian that the allegations against Igboho were outright falsehood.
His words: “I can tell you clearly that as far as we are concerned here, Igboho has no link, to the best of our knowledge, with any terrorist group. And in any case, the way he (Igboho) organised his protests in all the Yoruba state capitals, he did not violate any laws of this country. There was no iota of violence reported anywhere. He was just mobilising frustrated and unemployed youths to champion what he believes could be in the best interest of Yoruba nation.
“Yes, we may not agree with him but nevertheless we don’t grudge him because we are in a democracy where everybody is free to express his or her views and state their opinions as long as they do not breach the laws of the land. Malami’s position is a false allegation.”
Chairman of ARG, Mr. Wale Oshun, said: “I am sure that every Nigerian knows that Malami causes confusion. What is at stake in the whole of this country is the question of justice. He is a Minister of Justice but basically he is an unjust person. Where was Malami when the armed herders, bandits and criminals coming from outside the country, and who are not even Nigerians, were taking over our forests, attacking our women, stopping farming from taking place? Now maize that we used to buy for below N80, 000 a tone is now going for about N240, 000 because our people could no longer go to farm. Where was Malami then? Because Igboho was able to put a stop to that, does that make him a terrorist? Malami is minister of injustice, let him continue.”
President of Yoruba Ronu, Mr. Akin Malaolu, wondered what could have gone wrong with the minister. “In the first place, the company is a fully incorporated company and it has its duty. The Article of Association spells out the activities of the company, which must have been licensed by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). This guy sells cars and he does other businesses that have no relationship with terrorism. If in the process of transferring money from one place to the other he used a legitimate bureau the change to transact his business, he has not committed any offence. Malami has not said that the so-called terrorist person was running an illegitimate bureau de change.
“Malami should just be careful; he is looking for any flimsy reason to nail Igboho who is not a terrorist. As far as we are concerned, Igboho stood for the welfare of his people.” The counsel to Igboho, Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN), challenged the Federal Government to mention the name of the lawmaker allegedly sponsoring the activist.
Alliyu declared that his client is not a terrorist but a businessman, doing legitimate business. In a statement, Alliyu said the Federal Government was only trying to paint his client in the bad light.
“Our attention has been drawn to a text press conference by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice wherein he fruitlessly tried to paint our client and those patronising his car trade as terrorists and/or financiers of terrorists.
“I have gone through the text. Sunday was alleged to have transferred the sum of N12.7 million to Abbal Bako and Sons owned by Abdullahi Umar. Transferring money to bureau de change to buy dollars is what is done by every businessman of our client’s calibre. Thank God that his passports and various bills of ladings were carted away by DSS during the ungodly invasion of July 1, 2021.
“Thus, so far, there is no evidence of receipt of money from Abbal Bako and Sons or Abdullahi Umar going by the text conference. What the AGF stated are mere conjectures. Not hard fact. Our client, according to him, paid Umar and NOT vice versa.
“The picture the AGF wanted to paint is that our client is being financed by Abdullah Umar allegedly involved in terrorists financing. Who is now financing who? Again, Chief Adeyemo is a car dealer trading in the name of Adesun International Concept Ltd. Does it mean that anybody buying car from him or selling car to him is a terrorist?” the counsel queried.
Alliyu said Igboho was not into Oodua Nation until last year, hence, finding over N273 million turnover between October 2013 and September 2020 shows that he was not a poor man. His house invaded by DSS on July 1, 2020 is worth over N2billion!
“I challenge the AGF to mention the lawmaker that sent money to Chief Sunday Adeyemo for terrorist act whether he would not found himself in exemplary damages for defamation.
“Up till date, our client has not been prosecuted or found liable for any criminal act or terrorism. There is also a valid and subsisting court judgment that agitation for self-determination is not an act of terrorism but fundamental human right of any citizen.
“My learned AGF knows that suspicion, no matter how great, cannot grant conviction. Chief Sunday Adeyemo is not a terrorist but a campaigner for self-determination,” Alliyu maintained.
On its part, IPOB said the committee’s report was not only disgraceful but also showed that the Federal Government had nothing against her leader.
A statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful said: “We note with great dismay the kind of incoherent and untenable allegations coming from a supposedly Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Nigeria. What a disgrace! Why not wait for us at the law court instead of resorting to media trial. That shows he has no case to prove against IPOB.
“This latest show of shame by Malami also shows the level of his ignorance and cluelessness on the office he occupies. To put the records straight, IPOB remains a peaceful movement, and was never involved in such barbarities Malami was linking IPOB with.
“Instead of killing security agents, IPOB members have been the victims of the extra-judicial killings by the wicked Nigerian security operatives as no fewer than 20,000 of our members have been murdered in cold blood by the Nigeria security agencies. It is not controvertible that innocent IPOB members and Biafran youths have been wasted at different times by the Nigeria security agencies. This genocide against IPOB is still ongoing, yet they want to suddenly change the narrative.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo said that the report had made it obvious that there was a desperate attempt by the Federal Government to give Kanu a bad in order hang him.
National Publicity Secretary of the group, Chief Alex Chiedozie Ogbonnia, queried the rationale behind such report on Kanu whose matter is already in court. According to him, it is now clear that government lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute the IPOB leader.
“I think what they are trying to do is to heap all atrocities in Nigeria on Kanu. At what point did they investigate to arrive at their conclusion that he is the cause of all the killings they listed in the southeast region? Does it mean that there is no case of gunmen any longer? It is not about making allegation but substantiating the claims with verifiable evidence. I want to let the Federal Government know that the whole world is watching and we cannot keep quite when they try to employ antics that could undermine his fair trial. What is happening is an indication that they are desperately looking for evidence to give him a bad name. It is unfortunate,” he said.
Elder statesman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, who expressed worry over what he described as “public trial” of Kanu, warned against actions that could deepen misgivings and suspicion in the country.
Wondering why the committee should issue such a statement when the government had some days ago amended its seven-count charge against Kanu, Okorie stated that it would be sad if the committee fail to back up the said report with verifiable evidence.
“I am worried that an allegation as weighty as this is coming up when trial is underway and a few days after the Federal Government through the AGF amended its charges. Is it because the amended charges came with evidence? The truth about it all is that the government should allow the trial go on. Nobody is saying Kanu should not be tried. Let the court do their work and not by public statements. It shouldn’t have been so when a matter is underway and a day after the court had adjourned hearing. So we should watch it,” he said.
Emeritus President General, Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazuruike, described the development as a “Nollywood story with Malami as director and producer and so many minor players.”
He stated that such allegation against the IPOB would continue as long as Malami and President Muhammadu Buhari remain in power. “The mentality of those in power now is crush him with anything possible.”
Uwazuruike, who is part of the legal team assembled by Ohanaeze Ndigbo to defend Kanu, insisted that the allegation was a “fairytale.”
“No serious lawyer will address this kind of press conference that has no substance. What they are doing is to instigate the public into believing that there is something. All those charges can only go in where there is no judiciary or where there is subdued judiciary. I am aware that those charges have been challenged in court and without waiting for the court to rule, the AGF decided to take the case to public domain.
“I can assure you that we will respond in due time to every line made by the Attorney General. There is nothing about the allegations. It is propaganda and mishmash of inefficiency of the Federal Government. I won’t be surprised that one day, they will blame Kanu for the kidnapings taking place in the whole of the North, bombing of police stations there, among several other atrocities. This government is grossly inefficient and somebody wants to justify the inefficiency by blaming it on Kanu. It is unfortunate.”
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also faulted the report. In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said there was a clear evidence of double standard in the area of public prosecution of politically exposed individuals from either North or South.
The statement read: “The government, particularly the Ministry of Justice has consistently manifested aversion or lack of enthusiasm towards bringing suspected terrorists from the northern part of Nigeria to justice but it is always overzealous to charge other persons from the South with certain phantom allegation of terrorism and the Justice Ministry is busy conjuring up half-baked allegations to hang it on the necks of either Nnamdi Kanu or Sunday Igboho.
“A good example will suffice; Nnamdi Kanu versus certain elements and divisive leaders of Miyetti Allah that have been quoted in the media for supporting the activities of the armed Fulani headsmen who are terrorists.
“These same leaders of Miyetti Allah who are in Nigeria have made treasonable statements challenging the authorities of the state governments that have carried out the legal passage of laws on the anti-open grazing legislation and have not only made threats but carried out their threats like in Ondo State.
“The National President of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association has threatened fire and brimstone in the Southeast of Nigeria just because people rejected Ruga Fulani initiative of the President.
“A few months after these threats were published in the media, and still on the internet as I speak, there were sporadic attacks targeting strategic national security institutions and assets and the government’s at both the Southeast and centre have refused to conduct proper forensic investigation but have hastily blamed Eastern Security Network and the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra. IPOB denied.”
