Cameroon’s veteran leader, Paul Biya, on Monday announced the country first regional elections in December, including in two western regions in the grip of a revolt by the anglophone minority.
The indirect elections on December 6 in the country’s 10 regions will put in place councils provided for in a 1996 constitution in a move towards decentralisation but not yet implemented.
These councils will also be elected in the two western regions where a nearly three-year-old insurgency has claimed over 3,000 lives.
The two restive anglophone regions are home to a large minority of English speakers in a country where French speakers are the overwhelming majority — a situation that is the legacy of the decolonisation of western Africa by France and Britain more than six decades ago.
Years of resentment at perceived discrimination against anglophones led to the declaration on October 1, 2017, of the self-described Republic of Ambazonia in the two regions, triggering a crackdown by the authorities.
Biya, 87, has been in power for nearly four decades and has promised these two regions a special status in a bid to quell the unrest.
The regions will elect 90 councillors, who will have limited powers on local issues. Twenty of them will be representatives of traditional chieftains.
John Fru Ndi, leader of a key opposition party, has said he will boycott the election unless there is a ceasefire first in the English-speaking regions.
The Nigerian Inter-Religious Council has called on all parties with genuine complaints against the passage of the Companies and Allied Matter Act (2020) to approach the court or the National Assembly for review.
NIREC is the organisation of Christians and Muslims co-chaired by Rev. Samson Ayokunle, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria; and Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
While expressing concern over the controversy surrounding CAMA 2020, the organisation said it was aware that “CAMA is 30 years old before the passage of the CAMA 2020.
The position of NIREC was contained in a statement by its Executive Secretary, Fr. Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, in Abuja on Monday.
He said, “One of the beauties of democracy is that citizens have their representatives in the legislature. Apart from the representatives, sponsorship of private bills is allowed. NIREC advises all well-meaning individuals or groups with genuine complaints to approach the court or the National Assembly to avoid generating unnecessary bad blood and acrimony.
“All those aggrieved by the passage of the CAMA 2020 should therefore resort to the legislative process by proposing either an amendment or repeal of the CAMA 2020. It will then be left for the National Assembly to consider such bills in their own merit.”
NIREC called on the National Assembly to listen objectively to the reactions of the citizens on CAMA, adding that the citizens should be law abiding.
Traditional rulers in the 19 Northern States and the Abuja met in Kaduna on Monday over the disturbing spate of insecurity in the region and the country.
The meeting of the monarchs under the aegis of the Northern Traditional Council was presided over by its Chairman and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll and held at the Lugard Hall Secretariat of the council, in the metropolis.
The Sultan in his opening address, described the killings in Southern Kaduna as “madness,” calling on those involved in the carnage to stop immediately.
He said, “The Southern Kaduna killings is madness and has to be stopped immediately. No man in his right senses go on a killing spree of innocent people under whatever guise.”
Abubakar carpeted politicians for being behind the lingering crisis in the southern part of Kaduna
He, however, warned that if the brains behind such atrocities did not stop they would be consumed by their own traps.
In his own remarks, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, said the Southern Kaduna crises had prevailed for the past 40 years.
Boko Haram jihadists killed 10 civilians in attacks on three villages in the North-East, local security officials said Monday.
Babakura Kolo, leader of a government-backed anti-jihadist militia, told AFP that the insurgents had carried out the assaults on Sunday.
Kolo said they raided the village of Kurmari, 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Maiduguri, late Sunday, killing four residents as they slept.
The attackers did not use guns so as not to attract troops in a nearby town, said another militia member Ibrahim Liman.
The area has been the target for repeated suicide and gun attacks.
Elsewhere, sources told the newspaper that the jihadists burned three people alive and hacked a fourth to death in another village on the outskirts of Maiduguri also on Sunday.
Two farmers were also kidnapped as they tended their fields and several other.
Boko Haram fighters have stepped up attacks on farmers as they work in their fields.
The Nigeria Police Force has charged to court Abdulmumuni Danga, Kogi State Commissioner for Water Resources, for assaulting and raping a lady named Elizabeth over a Facebook post.
This is coming five months after the event took place and three months after the commissioner was first invited for questioning by the police.
Danga was charged on a seven-count charge including rape to brutality, coercion and torture.
He is charged alongside one Success Omadivi and they are to be arraigned at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Judicial Division.
Recall that it was reported that Danga was invited for questioning on June 2, 2020 at the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Gender Unit, Force Intelligence Bureau, FCID, Abuja and was released after pressure from Governor Yahaya Bello.
In the charge sheet signed by ACP Effiong Asuquo, Esq, Prosecuting Counsel for the police, the case will be prosecuted by the police on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He was also charged for falsifying documents and threatening medical officer to forge test result.
In count one of the charges, Danga was accused of having carnal knowledge of Elizabeth Onyeniyi without her consent; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
In count two of the charges, the police said Danga with other persons now at large; in Lokoja willfully inflicted physical injury on Elizabeth by flogging her with electric cable wire.
Other charges reads, “That you ABDULMUMUNI DANGA, SUCCESS OMADIVI ‘F’ with other persons now at large; on or about the 29th day of March, 2020 at Lokoja; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did coerce one Elizabeth Oyeniyi to kneel down by torturing her; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 Of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
“That you ABDULMUMUNI DANGA, SUCCESS OMADIVI ‘F’ With other persons now at large; on or about the 29th day of March, 2020 at Lokoja; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did create or falsify a Facebook chat purporting same to be a chat between Elizabeth Onyeniyi ‘F’ and unknown person where Elizabeth Oyeniyi ‘F’ confirmed that she was not raped; and there was no test done at the hospital because the doctor was scared to issue report so that she will not lose her job; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 7 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
“That you ABDULMUMI_JNI DANGA ‘M’ with other persons now at large; on or about the 29th day of March, 2020 at Lokoja; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did falsify an audio recording purporting same to be the audio of Dr. Chinonyerem Welle, Medical Director, Police Hospital, Area 1, Garki, Abuja saying that she issued medical report for the rape and assault of Elizabeth Onyeniyi ‘F’ unlawfully; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 7 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
“That you ABDULMUMUNI DANGA ‘M’, SUCCESS OMADIVI ‘F’ with other persons now at large; on or about the 29th day of March, 2020 at Lokoja; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did falsify an audio recording purporting same to be a lady talking to another female saying that Elizabeth Onyeniyi ‘F’ confessed to her that she was not raped by the Defendant, ABDULMUMIJNI DANGA ‘M’ but that it was Natasha that asked her to say she was raped; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 7 Of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
“That you ABDULMUMUNI DANGA ‘M’ with other persons now at large; on or about the 29th day of March, 2020 at Lokoja; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did falsify an audio recording purporting same to be the audio of Dr. Chinonyerem Welle, Medical Director, Police Hospital, Area 1, Garki, Abuja saying that she issued medical report for the rape and assault of Elizabeth Onyeniyi ‘F’ unlawfully; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 7 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.”
The victim had in a posted on her Facebook wall urged the commissioner to assist his kid sister and other members of his family financially.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, Elizabeth said she decided to make the Facebook post following series of complaints by the commissioner’s sister to her.
The post did not go down well with the commissioner, who hired thugs to seize Elizabeth from her home in Lokoja with her three-year-old son.
“On getting there, they flogged me. He flogged us himself, stripped me naked and made a video of me threatening to post it when next I make any public comment about it,” she said.
Narrating how the commissioner raped her, she said Danga held her captive and took her to a hotel at night where he forcefully had sex with her.
She expressed fear for her life, revealing that she and her family members were receiving threats from loyalists and thugs of the commissioner.
Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, is currently in a hospital in Berlin, Germany treating an undisclosed ailment, it has been reliably gathered.
Findings revealed that the latest trip was the third time Adamu would be flown to Germany within this period of Coronavirus outbreak for medical attention.
The minister is said to be having kidney problem and undergoing a procedure but it was not totally clear at the time of this report what particular ailment he was being treated for in the European country.
In the absence of Adamu, who is expected back in the country soon, a lot of key issues in the education sector had stalled.
His absence is said to have slowed down critical strategy in the reopening of schools and also escalated the recent crisis that rocked the University of Lagos where the Vice Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and Pro-Chancellor, Dr Wale Babalakin, were removed to allow for a thorough investigation into misappropriation of the institution’s funds.
“It is the third time that the minister has been flown to Germany on suspected health grounds within this Coronavirus pandemic period.
“On one of those occasions, I heard he used a private jet belonging to a former Pro-Chancellor of a federal university in the country.
“The minister is currently in a hospital in Berlin, Germany, undergoing a procedure, but they are hiding the information especially the purpose of his frequent trip there in recent times.
“His absence has affected a lot of things in the education sector. He has not been able to attend to all the key issue on the ground especially as discussions on the full reopening of schools gathers pace,” a government source said.
Adamu is one of the closest ministers to President Muhammadu Buhari and in fact said to be a member of his inner caucus.
In August, SaharaRepoters revealed how Mamman Daura, a nephew and close confidant of President Buhari was flown to the United Kingdom for urgent medical treatment over an undisclosed ailment.
The 80-year-old former journalist was said to have been flown in a private jet to the UK after exhibiting respiratory difficulties with symptoms similar to Coronavirus.
Daura, who was designated as father of the day during last Friday’s wedding of President Buhari’s daughter, Hanan, was absent at the occasion, pointing to the fact that he may not have returned back to the country from medical treatment in the UK.
In April, late Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, died from Coronavirus complications after not being able to be flown abroad for treatment following the closure of international airspace by many countries in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
A key member of the Buhari’s administration, his demise at First Cardiology Consultants in Lagos sent panic across Nigeria’s seat of power, forcing drastic safety measures to be adopted to protect the President, who has himself battled an undisclosed ailment and had visited UK several times in recent years for medical attention.
Former Divisional Police Officer of Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, CSP Adamu Danjuma, on Monday, said 17 people including nine policemen and eight civilians were killed in cold blood in the April 5, 2018 Offa bank armed robbery operation.
Danjuma while testifying at the resumed hearing of the trial of five accused persons charged for the robbery also said 21 AK47 rifles were stolen from the armoury of the police station during the robbery operation.
The police officer, who was the first eyewitness to testify before Justice Haleema Saleeman of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, also narrated how he escaped being killed in the robbery operation.
The five accused persons standing trial of “Conspiracy, Armed robbery, possession of Firearms and Ammunition and Murder” are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran. They were all brought to court on Monday.
Danjuma, who was the fifth prosecution witness (PW5), said the suspected armed robbers destroyed the Police Armoury in Offa station and also used explosive to attack banks.
He gave the names of the police officers and men that were gunned down by the suspected robbers as Julius Pelemo (ASP), Yusuf Danjuma (Inspector), Grace Makinde (Inspector) and Oke Kayode (Inspector).
Others are Sergeants Mustapha Kolawole, Bilikisu Babawale, Abimbola Adedokun, Yootum Nakoma and Monday Isa.
He narrated, “On the said date about 4:45 pm I heard a gunshot from the direction of Captain Cook Eatery Junction in the town; two minutes interval I heard sporadic shootings from that direction heading towards my police station. Immediately, I came out of my office to the charge room (counter). The shootings were approaching the station.
“In response, I also fired gunshots into the air from my pistol. As a result, there was a temporary stoppage of shootings from outside. Suddenly, the shootings started coming in from different directions towards the station. A lady who was manning the pedestrian gate was shot in one of her arms making her abandon the place and ran for her dear life. The shootings continued.
“Thereafter, the robbers released explosive into the security tower of the station. Another explosive was released and it hit the main road and bored deep hole on the road. This melee disorganised the whole station. Then, the ammunition in my pistol had got exhausted. This made me to run for cover at the back of the station’s mosque.
“At the back of the mosque, I sighted three of the armed robber chasing ASP Julius Pelemo to the back of the station’s fence. Then, I heard the shout of the late Julius after a gunshot. I heard one of the robbers calling those that ran after the late ASP to come over to the charge room (counter). One of them entered the Surveillance Office and shot dead a policewoman. Two of them ran to the charge room (counter).
“I now changed my position to the toilet near the back of the fence. At that place, I was able to communicate with the state Commissioner of Police, deputy commissioner, operations and the command’s spokesperson seeking for reinforcement. While this was happening, simultaneously, I was hearing gunshots at the banks’ direction in the town. I was also hearing explosions and accompanying flames around the bank’s area.
“At an interval of between five and 10 minutes, I would hear shootings from the charge room, making it impossible for me to come out of the toilet. After a while, I heard shouts from the town that ‘olee they don go.’ From the toilet, I headed straight for the charge room and then for the armoury to see the level of damage. When I entered the armoury I discovered that they had broken the armoury key. I went to my office and took my office padlock to lock the armoury.”
The police chief said three civilians killed in his station by the robbers were one suspect and two witnesses.
He continued, “while I was planning to take corpses of the deceased to the mortuary, the Administrative Officer of Mopol came into the station with two police officers shot dead at their duty post in the banks. In addition, other people brought in corpses of civilians killed by the robbers.”
He said he was instrumental to the conveyance of the 17 corpses to the General Hospital in Ilorin for autopsy and got their death certificates of the deceased.
Among the recovered exhibits, he said, are two expended 5.6mm black ammunition; four 5.6mm live ammunition; 39 expended 7.6mm ammunition; one expended 9mm ammunition; one live 5.6mm ammunition, four pellets and cartridge safety box labeled Ikoyi, Lagos, Ministry of Police Affairs.
The Cybercrime Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, INTERPOL, National Central Bureau, Abuja, has arrested two suspects for their complicity in a major multi-million euro scam on procurement of COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment, a statement by Force spokesperson, Mr Frank Mba, said.
The suspects, Babatunde Adesanya a.k.a Teddy, a 50-year-old Master’s degree holder in Cell Biology, and Akinpelu Hassan Abass, 41 and Managing Director of Musterpoint Investment Nig. Ltd, who are members of a sophisticated transnational criminal network, cloned the corporate website of ILBN Holdings BV, Holland, to transact with and defraud one Freiherr Fredrick Von Hahn, a representative of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The arrest of the suspects was sequel to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty received by the Bureau from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, conveying a request from the German Government for investigations into the fraudulent transaction linked to a Nigerian-based bank account, the statement added.
According to Mba, “Discrete investigations by INTERPOL Nigeria revealed that the suspects and their Holland-based cohorts, one Eduardus Boomstra and Geradius Maulder specialized in identity theft, cyber-stalking, cloning of corporate websites amongst other cyber mischiefs to defraud unsuspecting members of the public across the world.
“In this instance, the suspects fraudulently obtained from Mr Freiherr Fredrick Von Hahn the sum of €1.5m and another €880,000 as advanced payment for the supply of COVID-19 PPEs valued at €14.7m. Disturbed by the non-arrival of the PPEs, Mr Freiherr Fredrick Von Hahn eventually visited the corporate office of ILBN Holdings BV in Holland to inquire reasons for the delay in supplying the items only to find out that the company never did business with him and that the transaction was a scam. The fraudsters merely cloned the company’s website and falsely presented themselves as representatives of the company before subsequently executing the fraudulent transaction.
“Consequently, he reported the case of fraud to the Police in Holland and this led to the arrest of Eduardus Boomstra and Geradius Maulder in Holland and investigations extended to Nigeria. Investigation by INTERPOL Nigeria further revealed that Babatunde Adesanya received €498,000 from Eduardus Boomstra and Geradius Maulder through his Citibank London account and transferred same to an account number domiciled with a Lagos branch of a leading commercial bank in Nigeria belonging to Musterpoint Investment Nig. Ltd.
“While commending the Commissioner of Police, INTERPOL, CP Garba Baba Umar, and operatives of INTERPOL Nigeria, Cybercrime Unit, for a job well done, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, assures members of the public and the international community of the commitment of the Force to tackling cybercrimes and other transnational crimes.
“He reiterates that there will be no hiding place for Internet fraudsters in the country. Meanwhile, the suspects will be arraigned before a competent court of law soon.”
David Ibiyeomie, founder and General Overseer of Salvation Ministries has been criticised for laying curses and threatening controversial Media personality, Daddy Freeze.
Daddy Freeze, who is popularly known for criticising Nigerian pastors, in his recent post on his Instagram page, attacked Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel for saying women should submit to their husbands.
Reacting, Pastor Ibiyeomie in a viral video from his Sunday service, cursed the day Daddy Freeze was born, even as he threatened to deal with him if he talks or insults Oyedepo again.
According to the Cleric, ‘He cannot be alive and watch someone insult his father, Oyedepo’.
Nigerian Producer, Samklef took to his Twitter page querying the ‘anointing of God’ on pastor Ibiyeomie.
According to him, a man of God should respect God on the pulpit and not speak in such manner about anyone.
He wrote: “Where is your Anointing man of God? As much as I don’t agree with Daddy Freeze this man (Ibiyeomie) is not a man of God but a man of man.
“How can you speak in this manner from the pulpit you do not even respect God.”
Some Nigerians also took to their Twitter pages reacting to Pastor Ibiyomie’s outburst.
Popular South African actress, Thandeka Mdeliswa has ben been shot dead at her family home in Evander, Mpumalanga in South Africa.
The actress, popularly known for her starring role as Khanya in the SABC 1 drama series Ikani, got shot after she waded into a heated argument her older brother has with two men at their family home.
The argument got violent as one of the men grabbed his friend’s gun and shot the actress.
The two men immediately fled the scene as Mdeliswa was quickly airlifted to Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria where she died on Saturday September 5.
Her family in a statement confirmed her death adding that:
“Her condition was critical but stable. She passed on in the morning of September 6th.
“The circumstances surrounding her death are still under investigation by SAPS.”
“The brutality which was inflicted on our daughter us left us deeply hurt. This is another incidence of violence against women,” the statement read in part.
The police in a statement confirmed that the owner of the hub has been identified, however no suspects arrested yet.
“We are currently investigating the incident but have not arrested anyone. Yesterday, we brought the owner of the gun to book and we were advised to get the person who pulled the trigger,” the police said.
The police urged anyone with information to approach the Evander Police Station or any police station around.
