Illya Ibrahim, a Corps Assistant with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has lost his job for joining in the loot of Covid-19 palliatives discovered in a warehouse in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Media Assistant to the Commandant General NSCDC, Ekunola Gbenga who disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday evening said Ibrahim was attached to the Gwagwalada Division of NSCDC before he was dismissed.
According to the statement, the Junior Staff Disciplinary Committee of NSCDC recommended the dismissal of Ibrahimfor joining hoodlums in looting Covid-19 palliatives discovered in a warehouse.
The recommendation was given after the officer was charged under the public service rule which is related to unbecoming conduct of officers.
“This disciplinary measure was taken after series of investigations and deliberations by the junior disciplinary committee and recommendations were made to the management,” Ekunola said.
He added that Commandant General of NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu appreciates officers and men of the Corps including members of the public for providing useful information that has continue to assist the Corps in identifying unfit individuals within the ranks for appropriate action.
He also added that the NSCDC CG also tasked the personnel to remain committed, resolute and firm in the discharge of their duties.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa says he will soon sign an executive order for house-to-house search to recover government and private property looted by some hoodlums across the state.
Fintiri, who stated this during a broadcast in Yola on Tuesday, called on the looters to return all looted property before 7 a.m. of Wednesday, Oct. 28.
“I assure every resident of the state of our continuous commitment to the protection of their lives and property”
“Consequently, I am giving a 12 hour ultimatum from 6 p.m. – 6 a.m. to those hoodlums to return whatever they looted from public and private warehouses and homes to the nearest police station.
“They can also return it to traditional rulers’ house from the ward to the district level, whichever is nearest to them.
“This ultimatum will expire at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, 28th – October, 2020, after which I will sign an Executive Order for a house-to-house search to commence by 7 a.m. of the same day,” the governor added.
According to him, part of the provision of the order is a sanction that will attract withdrawal of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) and if necessary, demolition of every house that habours any of the stolen properties.
Fintiri called on the law abiding citizens to cooperate with the ecurity agencies to ensure the enforcement to the letter.
He said so far 155 suspects have been arrested including nine vehicles and 12 trycircles that were recovered.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on Sunday imposed a 24 hours curfew.
NAN also reports that the hoodlums attacked and looted property from the Nigeria Customs Service Office, Federal Road Safety, Primary Healthcare Development Agency, NEMA office, and COVID-19 Isolation Centre at Kofare.
They also looted the North East Commodity Association (NECAS) Kofare, public and private warehouses in Demsawo, Nyako Quarters, opposite airport, Upper Benue and the Red Cross office, among other places.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has re-appointed Prof Mahmood Yakubu as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday titled “President Buhari nominates Prof Yakubu as INEC chairman for second term in office.”
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has presented the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, for a second term in office.
“In a letter to President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, the President said in accordance with the provision of Section 154 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), ‘I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate, the nomination of Professor Mahmood Yakubu for appointment as Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a second and final term.’
“Prof Yakubu was first appointed by President Buhari in November 2015.
Several Nigerians on Twitter have expressed dissatisfaction over the oath of secrecy administered on members of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The oath of secrecy administered on panel members reads in part, “I solemnly swear/affirm that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal any matter to any person which shall be brought under my consideration or shall come to my knowledge in the discharge of my official duties, except as may be required for the discharge of my official duties or as may be officially permitted by the governor. So help me God/Allah.”
The panel, which is to investigate the shooting of unarmed protesters at the Lekki toll plaza on October 20, 2020, is expected to begin sitting today.
The panel is also to probe alleged extrajudicial killings perpetrated by operatives of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the police.
Popular social media influencer, Dr. Harvey Olufunmilayo, said the oath of secrecy was not a good sign.
“If Lagos asked members of the panel to sign an oath of secrecy, just know there is no depth these people will not sink into to cover the truth. If members of the Lagos judicial panel of inquiry are truly made to sign an oath of secrecy, now is the time to end that scam.
“These panels are a public inquiry into a matter of public interest about public crimes and atrocities committed by the police. Televise all panel sessions,” he wrote.
Another influencer, Dr. Dipo Awojide, said the state government should try to build trust among the youths and the oath of secrecy could undermine this.
“There is absolutely no need for folks joining the panel in Lagos State to swear an oath of secrecy. It just makes everything look suspect from the get-go. Trust level is currently at the lowest level. Lagos State Government should do everything to build trust,” Awojide tweeted.
Adetutu Balogun also questioned the rationale behind the oath of secrecy, saying, “Why are independent judicial panel members swearing an oath of secrecy to Babajide Sanwo-Olu for a public hearing?”
A lawyer, Festus Ogun, said on Twitter that the reference to the governor in the oath was also worrisome.
Ogun said the oath of secrecy was defective and at variance with Section 38(4) of the 1999 Constitution.
“Again, this oath of secrecy is legally defective. First, the idea of secrecy is occult. Section 38(4) of the 1999 Constitution frowns at ‘secret societies’.
“Oath of confidentiality would be better. Second, oaths are to be sworn before a commissioner of oaths, not the governor,” the lawyer maintained.
The Nigeria Air Force has deployed three helicopters to tackle looters that descended on National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Kubwa, an Abuja suburb, in the early hours of Tuesday.
The helicopters were seen around 10:00 am hovering around the orientation camp. It was unclear if the helicopters touched down in the premises or the identity of the security agents they conveyed.
The Nigeria Army also deployed soldiers to the scene as a number of military trucks were seen heading towards the direction on Tuesday morning.
The possible news of the invasion was not sudden. The Guardian gathered that the invaders hatched the plans to attack the orientation camp on Monday evening after returning from Gwagwalada, which was attacked on Monday.
Some of those that attacked Kubwa, it was learnt, participated in the Gwagwalada stealing.
Our correspondent gathered that the hoodlums could have formed some intelligence gathering teams whose duty is to carry out an investigation on certain locations with COVID-19 palliative.
It was also gathered that the unidentified hoodlums were a little late because the security agents and some government officials had moved rice away from the camp when they learnt about the impending invasion.
When the invaders forcefully gained entrance into the camp, there was no rice, but there were other non-edible items such as plastic chairs, tables, television sets and mattresses that are meant for corps members.
Security agents traced the looted items to Kubwa village market which is adjacent to the orientation camp.
Security operatives were understood to have stormed the market in search of the stolen items. But they were resisted by hoodlums who mill around the market.
The European Union has maintained its support for Nigeria’s former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, to become the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.
The union had in the previous round backed Okonjo-Iweala. An official of the union on Monday told Reuters that the EU’s support for Okonjo-Iweala is considered a strong signal to reinforce the multilateral order and a sign of mutual trust between the bloc and Africa.
In the previous round, the EU selected both Okonjo-Iweala and Yoo Myung-Hee of South Korea.
Experts now believe that the EU and the USA, who have historically agreed on decisions like these, may clash.
Okonjo-Iweala is promoting the multilateral trading system which the WTO has always leaned on, while the Trump administration has favoured bilateral trades.
The USA’s trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, has worked with Myung-Hee and is believed to prefer her candidature.
Trump has frustrated the trade body, criticising its decisions and blocking the appointment of judges to its appeal body.
In addition to promising to return global trade to its multilateral legacy, Myung-Hee is proposing to use her 30-year experience in trade and diplomacy to smoothen US-China relations.
Okonjo-Iweala, on the other hand, wants to see increased access to drugs and vaccines in developing countries.
There are 164-member countries in the WTO and a consensus candidate has to be chosen before an announcement can be made.
The Coalition Against COVID-19 has explained that the scale of the nationwide food distribution programme and the magnitude of persons to benefit from the palliatives were some of the reasons that delayed the delivery of the items.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson in Abuja, Nwanosiobi Osita, the coalition stated that it had been working with governors, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to procure, deliver and distribute these relief items.
It said the distribution was to almost two million most vulnerable families (over 10 million Nigerians) across the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria as part of its support in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coalition said, “The sheer scale of this nationwide food programme and the timing of the orders and deliveries, which coincided with the lockdowns and reduced movement across the country, compelled CACOVID to roll out distribution in a staggered manner.
“The very large size of the order, and the production cycle required to meet the demand caused delays in delivering the food items to the states in an expeditious manner; hence, the resultant delay in delivery of the food palliatives by the state governors.”
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday said the Federal Government and Lagos State Government would ensure that everyone found culpable in last Tuesday’s shooting at the Lekki Toll Plaza would be held accountable for their actions.
Speaking during an interview session with a CNN’s Becky Anderson on her show, “Connect the World with Becky Anderson programme” on Monday, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the CCTV footage at the Lekki Toll Gate would be available for the State Judicial Panel of Enquiry to review as part of the investigation into the Lekki Toll Gate shootings.
He said: “We will be committed to a full investigation of what happened and people would be held accountable. They certainly would be held accountable. We would do everything possible to ensure that they are held accountable.
“People have claimed that their friends and family members have been killed. So, this Judicial Panel of Enquiry is meant to bring all of these stories to accountability; where we can make restitutions, where families can prove and indentify officers that were responsible for this.
“I am not the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; I am Governor of a State. The report would be out and we would channel the report to all the relevant authorities in the state to ensure that every one that is found culpable is accountable for the act.”
Sanwo-Olu also debunked the insinuation that international pressure persuaded President Muhammadu Buhari and himself to finally speak out about what protesters demonstrated for so long in Lagos and in Nigeria on the #EndSARS campaign.
He said: “There are no international pressures whatsoever. These are genuine protesters that we all believe and we all have knowledge about. I was the first governor among governors with due respect to all my other colleagues who came out to meet with them, who started from the front. I carried the EndSARS flags with them. I met with them twice and we all had the rally together and worked together.”
The Governor also expressed confidence that there would be positive change as a result of what has happened in the past couple of days with protests in different parts of Nigeria by the youths.
“I genuinely believe there would be change for two reasons. One, what has happened, especially in Lagos is extremely unimaginable.
“Number two is that it was a clarion call for all of us in government, especially understanding and realising what the youths truly want us to be doing. So, it hit all of us like a thunderbolt and it was just a wake-up call,” he said.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, on Monday dared human rights activists, who had threatened to drag him and other officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to the International Criminal Court.
Buratai, who stated this while addressing principal staff officers, general officers commanding and field commanders at a meeting in the NA headquarters, Abuja, said the commanders should not be afraid of the ICC while performing their duties.
He also ordered military commanders and troops to go after looters and hoodlums raiding warehouses and vandalising property across the country, adding that sponsors of #EndSARS protests were out to discredit the Army
There has been outrage over soldiers’ shooting of peaceful protesters on Tuesday last week in Lekki, Lagos, with some of those who condemned the incident threatening to take Buratai to the ICC.
Protests by youths calling for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery of the Nigeria Police turned violent following the shooting in Lekki.
Also, mobs have been looting public and private property besides the burning of police stations and other government buildings.
But on Monday, Buratai did not comment on the allegation that soldiers shot protesters.
He, however, denied that the army masterminded the miscreants involved in the arson, vandalism and looting of public and private property in many cities.
The chief of army staff made it clear to his men that there must be no room for disloyalty amongst all officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
He said the PSOs, GOCs and field commanders must reiterate to all their subordinates that the army was determined to ensure democratic stability in the country as the only panacea for development and progress.
Buratai said, “The recent activities by unscrupulous elements have shown their desire to acquire arms and ammunition at all costs from security personnel. No less than 10 AK-47 rifles have been lost to these miscreants in the past two weeks across the country with attendant loss of lives of personnel.”
According to a statement read by the Army spokesman, Col. Sagir Musa, on behalf of the COAS, Buratai charged the commanders to nip in the bud the trend at all costs.
The statement was titled, ‘Press briefing on the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. TY Buratai’s meeting with principal staff officers, general officers commanding and field commanders at the Army headquarters conference room, Abuja on October 26,2020.’
In the statement, Buratai directed the commanders to warn their troops on internal security or guard duties outside the barracks to be at “maximum alert at all times and to also deal decisively with any attack on their duty locations.
“We will not allow any force, elements or destabilising agents in or outside our country to set our beloved country on fire. We remain resolute in doing everything possible to ensure that subversive elements, detractors and other enemies of this great nation do not achieve their aims and objectives of destabilisation,” he said.
The COAS said that the army was aware from the outset, the plan by the organisers of the protests to discredit the NA.
He stated, “The NA (Nigerian Army) has been aware of the grand design by the sponsors of the protests to draw it into the crisis.
“The plan was to embark on massive propaganda to discredit the military and the government so as to set the people against the NA once it is called out to aid the civil authorities. The NA being aware of the devilish plan was careful not to be dragged in and issued the initial warning through a press release on 14 October 2020 of our resolve to secure and safeguard a united Nigeria.
“Now the detractors alongside their local and international collaborators have mischievously and deliberately misrepresented troops’ efforts to ensure compliance with the curfew imposed by legitimate civil authorities in Lagos and other states.”
He accused unnamed individuals and groups of falsely accusing the army of being responsible for the activities of the miscreants “despite glaring evidence to the contrary.
“They have continually threatened to report the NA to the International Criminal Court and also threatened various forms of sanctions against personnel and their families.
“Thankfully, however, a large percentage of Nigerians and the international community have started seeing through the smokescreen of falsehood and deliberate misrepresentation of facts being orchestrated by enemies of Nigeria and have retracted their earlier false publications,” he added.
Tasking his men on their responsibility, Buratai admonished that none of the PSOs, GOCs, field commanders and other officers and soldiers of the NA should be afraid of the ICC for carrying out their legitimate duties.
He stated, “None of the PSOs, GOCs, field commanders and other officers and soldiers of the NA should be afraid of the ICC for carrying out their legitimate duties as stated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and other extant laws, rules and regulations of Nigeria.”
According to him, the commanders have every right under the constitution to carry out assigned and legitimate roles of maintaining law and order in aid of civil authorities and other security agencies.
The statement said, “He (COAS) charged them to show the detractors and other elements of destabilization that they are neither part of them nor in any way supportive of their activities at all times. He directed that any act of arson or attempt to kill or maim any military or security personnel and other law-abiding civilians must be responded to quickly and decisively.
“In dealing with any security threat, troops must fully cooperate with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies and must ensure that everyone is in full compliance with imposed curfews and any other extant security instructions in force.”
I Am Not Afraid Of Travel Ban: I Am Ready To Live The Rest Of My Life In Nigeria – Buratai
Speaking shortly before the meeting went into a closed-door session, Buratai dismissed calls on the international community to impose a travel ban on top military officers over alleged violation of human rights of #EndSARS protesters.
He described as criminals those asking foreign governments to impose visa restrictions on him and the military commanders.
He said, “Criminal elements are threatening us with travel ban but we are not worried because we must remain in this country to make it better.
“The first time I travelled outside of this country, I was already 50 years and a general, so I don’t mind if I live the rest of my life here.”
But #EndSARS protesters, human rights groups and lawyers, in separate interviews with The PUNCH berated Buratai for alleging that the protests were organised to discredit the Army.
They also criticised his directive to the commanders that they should not be afraid of the ICC.
You Will Not Get Away With Soldiers’ Killing Peaceful Protesters, Activists Reply Buratai
A leading member of the #EndSARS movement, Deji Adeyanju, said the COAS had escaped justice, insisting that he would not get away with soldiers’ killing of peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate.
He admitted that his group had been leading the campaign for visa restrictions on Buratai and those who undermined democracy in the country.
Adeyanju berated the Army chief over the killing of about 1,000 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria popularly known as Shi’ites and hundreds of Indigenous People of Biafra members.
He stated, “We have been championing visa ban on him and others who continue to undermine democracy in the country and democratic tenets. How do you justify using bullets on unarmed protesters sitting down, holding the national flag and singing the national anthem?
“This is a chief of army staff who said his loyalty is not to the country but to (President) Buhari. You can imagine the level of disservice this particular COAS has done to the country.
“He will never get away with this one. We are assuring him that no matter how long it takes, he will never get away with this particular one.”
Another #EndSARS protests member, Uche Philip, also vowed that Buratai would not get away with soldiers’ killing of protesters.
On his part, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch, Mr Adesina Ogunlana, described Buratai’s claim that the protests were organised to discredit the army as baseless.
Ogunlana said, “It shows, with due respect, how myopic, how grossly lacking in understanding, how disconnected those who purport to lead us but are actually misleading themselves and the country are.
“Youths gathered all over to demand a system change, not a government change. Nobody is talking of overthrowing Buhari or chasing the APC (All Progressives Congress) from power. They are only saying this system is a system of brutality and impunity and that SARS is just one of the indices of brutalization.”
Stop Living In Deceit, Lawyers Advise Government, Buratai
Faulting Buratai, a lawyer and rights activist, Mr Kunle Edun, said the protests were a mass agitation against hunger, mismanagement, abuse of power and nepotism.
Edun, who said there was too much of impunity in the country, added that the undue extension of the tenure of the Chief of Army Staff and other service chiefs was also part of the reasons for the protests.
Edun condemned the shooting of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos by soldiers and urged the government to “stop living a lie and self deceit”.
On his part, another lawyer, Mr. Stanley Imhanruor, described the Chief of Army Staff’s claim as an attempt discredit protests.
Imhanruor, who said Buratai’s statement was unpatriotic, recalled that the #EndSARS protests had long started on social media particularly Twitter, and spontaneously transformed into a physical agitation to make it more effective
The Executive Director Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, stated, “If the Army didn’t get involved in the protest with even their threats, no one would have dragged them to this issue but because they were taking over the role of the Nigeria police it is easy for the general public to observe their actions against the peaceful protesters.”
Reacting, the Deputy Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Kolawole Oluwadare, said, “It’s absolutely important for all security agencies and the military to operate within the parameters of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations and commitments in carrying out their duties.
“We support Nigerian authorities’ initiatives to restore peace and security across the country but any such initiatives should not be used as a ploy to violate and abuse people’s human rights and freedoms.
“Criminal sanctions must be applied to any security agents or military that violate people’s human rights and freedoms to ensure accountability for any violations and abuses.”
We Have Identified Barracks Of Soldiers Who Shot Lekki Protesters – Falana
Meanwhile, the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 And Beyond led by a human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, on Monday said it had identified the barracks of the soldiers who opened fire on protesters at Lekki toll gate in Lagos.
In an interview with ARISE TV on Monday, Falana, who is the Chairman of ASCAB, said the group had been able to trace the barracks where the soldiers came from.
“We have already identified the barracks where the soldiers left for Lekki, we have already identified the barracks,” Falana said.
The National Broadcasting Commission has fined Channels Television, Arise Television and Africa Independent Television for what it termed “unprofessional coverage” of the #EndSARS protests.
The acting Director-General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, announced this at a press conference in Abuja on Monday
The NBC had last week warned all television and radio stations against reporting the #EndSARS protests in a manner that could embarrass the government or private individuals or cause disaffection, incite to panic or rift in the society.
