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EXPOSED: Real Reason Buhari Suspended 12 EFCC Officials, Delayed Appointment Of Southerners As Supreme Court Judges

By
Akintomide Aroso
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EXPOSED: Real Reason Buhari Suspended 12 EFCC Officials, Delayed Appointment Of Southerners As Supreme Court Judges
President Muhammadu Buhari

Fresh facts at the disposal of SaharaReporters have revealed why President Muhammadu Buhari suspended 12 senior officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The officials including the EFCC Executive Secretary, Olanipekun Olukoyede, were in July suspended by Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, on the orders of President Buhari.

Though Malami claimed that the suspension was in respect of the ongoing probe of the activities of the commission under the administration of the suspended Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, but SaharaReporters have now gathered that President Buhari had other motives for his action.

According to a Presidency source, neither Olukoyede nor any of the 11 suspended officials were being investigated for misconduct.

“The action was to prevent a Southerner from heading the EFCC. Neither Mr Olukoyede nor others suspended were being investigated for misconduct. They were not even issued with any query. Yet they have been placed on indefinite suspension.

“Since the EFCC was established in 2003, it has always been headed by Northerners, Nuhu Ribadu, Farida Waziri, Ibrahim Lamorde and Ibrahim Magu. The target of the suspension of Olukoyede, who is the Secretary of the EFCC was because President Buhari did not want to suspend him alone so as not to expose the hidden agenda of reserving the position for another Northerner.

“As the most senior staff in the EFCC, Olakoyede has to be suspended to pave way for the Director of Operations, Mr Umar Mohammed. Funnily enough, this same Mohammed was made the Director of Operations by Magu while the appointment of Oloyede as Secretary of the EFCC was made by President Buhari and confirmed by the Senate in line with the EFCC Act,” the source said.

Known for his nepotism, the President despite recommendation from the National Judicial Council in October 2019 for the appointment of four new Supreme Court judges refused to forward the names of the justices to the Senate for confirmation.

Those recommended include Adamu Jauro (North-East), Emmanuel Agim (South-South), C. Oseji (South-South); and Helen Ogunwumiju (South-West).

SaharaReporters gathered that Buhari refused to send the names to the Senate for confirmation because the North-West geopolitical zone did not have a candidate on the list.

“The President swore not to confirm the list until the candidate from the North-West was recommended by the National Judicial Council for appointment to the Supreme Court.

“The NJC just recommended the appointment of four other justices including Justice Mohammed Garba, who headed last year’s Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as Supreme Court judges. With this new development, President Buhari has decided to send the names of the eight Justices to the Senate for confirmation.

“Since the eight Justices will now be appointed at the same time, the Southerners among them who ought to have been appointed since last year will be on the same level with the Northerners recently appointed.

SAHARA REPORTERS

I Was Banned From My Church’s Choir When I Got Pregnant – Waje

By
Akintomide Aroso
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I Was Banned From My Church's Choir When I Got Pregnant - Waje
Waje

Singer, Aituaje Iruobe, aka Waje, went down memory lane during the week when she recounted how she got pregnant while writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations.

The ‘Frenemies’ singer shared her experience in a recent Instagram Live chat with gospel rapper, Bouqui.

She said, “I got into a relationship in SS3 and the relationship went from ‘puppy love’ to sexual. At that time, I felt I loved him and that (sex) was the only way I could express my love. At that time, I saw a fine boy who liked me, though we quarreled on several occasions. I didn’t understand the responsibility that came with making decisions like that.

“I got pregnant and I remembered one afternoon, I was in the bathroom when someone came to my house and told me my pastor wanted to see me. I knew that day, there were two things that would happen ― either I died or I died. Everything in me got drained.

“Anyway, I went to see the pastor. He was in a conference room with other pastors and he said to me, ‘If you lie, you will die, because you are standing in front of God, Holy Spirit and me.’

“He asked me, ‘Are you pregnant?’ and I said, ‘Yes’. He was so disappointed. He told me he wanted to see me in church every Wednesday and Sunday but I would no longer sing in the choir.”

Waje also stated that her mother didn’t know she was pregnant until she was five months gone.

She said, “I wrote the WASSCE while pregnant and nobody knew; not even my mother. I told her about my pregnancy after five months.

“After one morning devotion, I told her I had something to tell her. I told her I was pregnant and wasn’t planning on aborting it.

“At that point, she already knew who was responsible because he used to come to our house. After telling her, she told me to go back to bed. However, I knew something in her broke because she didn’t go back to sleep.”

The PUNCH.

Senate To Persuade Buhari To Sack Service Chiefs

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Senate To Persuade Buhari To Sack Service Chiefs

The Senate has said it will persuade the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), to sack the military chiefs, comprising the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Naval Staff.

The upper chamber had, on July 21, asked the CDS and the service chiefs to step aside, following the killing of soldiers fighting insurgency and banditry in some parts of northern Nigeria.

The decision came after a motion moved during plenary via a point of order by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume.

Ndume’s motion titled ‘Matter of urgent national importance’ was premised on the rising number of casualties among the armed forces and other security agencies due to escalating banditry and insurgency in the country. He described the situation as worrisome.

He said, “Just recently, 24 soldiers were ambushed and killed along the Gamboa-Maiduguri Road in Borno State. At least 19 were wounded, while nine were declared missing in action.

“It is also disturbing that in Katsina recently, about 20 soldiers were ambushed and killed, while several others were wounded. The number of civilian casualties is not known.

“If the trend continues, it will have serious implications on the fight against insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality in the country.

“Recently, it was alleged that over 236 soldiers voluntarily resigned from the Nigerian Army.”

Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, in his prayer, as an addition to Ndume’s point of order, demanded that service chiefs step aside.

The Senate approved the prayer and passed a resolution on it accordingly.

The Presidency, however, reacted immediately, saying the President was not legally bound to act on the resolution of the legislature, while stressing that the President reserved the power to sack or retain the service chiefs.

In a recent interview, the Senate spokesperson, Senator Ajibola Basiru, said the red chamber would continue to persuade the President to act on its resolution.

Basiru admitted that the resolution was purely advisory but maintained that it represented the position of Nigerians who elected them into the Senate.

He said, “We, however, still want to persuade the President to consider our resolution. The Presidency has said it is aware of our resolution and has pledged to look into it.

“The Presidency said it is not legally bound to carry out (our) resolution because it is the prerogative of the President to remove service chiefs.”

Basiru did not categorically confirm if the Senate resolution was appropriately passed to the Presidency, but said, “Our resolutions are just persuasive authority coming from elective representatives of Nigerians in the National Assembly.”

He said, “It (resolution) is not a law. It is advisory and persuasive. The response of the Presidency is the correct position of law and I agree.

“Due to the principle of separation of power, we cannot compel the President to sack the service chiefs. We only responded to the feelings of Nigerians by asking the President to reorganise them (service chiefs) but he is not legally bound to do so.”

The Senate spokesman also noted that the Senate was deliberating with the executive on the decentralisation of the police and additional recruitment into the Force, adding that the decentralisation was already being worked on.

The PUNCH.

“Losing To Bayern Munich Is Painful” – Barcelona Coach

By
Akintomide Aroso
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"Losing To Bayern Munich Is Painful" - Barcelona Coach

Barcelona’s embattled coach, Quique Setien, offered no indication that he would resign in the immediate aftermath of Friday’s 8-2 Champions League humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich, as Club President, Josep Maria Bartomeu, promised to “take decisions” in the coming days.

“It’s too soon to think about whether or not I will continue,” Setien said. “It doesn’t depend on me. There needs to be a wider reflection, taking into account the situation and the importance of this defeat which is so painful.”

Defender Gerard Pique called for sweeping changes at the Camp Nou in the wake of the defeat, the worst in Barcelona’s distinguished European history.

Setien was already under huge pressure, despite only being appointed as the successor to Ernesto Valverde in January, with Barcelona having relinquished the Spanish title on his watch, finishing second to Real Madrid in La Liga.

They were hoping to make up for a disappointing domestic campaign in the ‘Final Eight’ in Lisbon but were instead utterly outclassed by Bayern at the Estadio da Luz.

Speaking to Spanish television station Movistar Plus, Bartomeu said: “Now is not the time for decisions, it is the time to apologise to the members, the Barcelona fans, because it was not a good day for them.”

“We are hurting, but once we get to next week we will start making decisions.”

Setien called the defeat “tremendously painful” and hinted that he knew what was coming.

“I am aware of what such a defeat means. I think what happens today needs to be analysed with a bit more perspective,” he said.

“The credibility of a coach is diminished when this happens, clearly. That is obvious, but that does not bother me right now.

(AFP)

“We Must Stay Focused After Barcelona Demolition” – Bayern Boss

By
Akintomide Aroso
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"We Must Stay Focused After Barcelona Demolition" - Bayern Boss

Bayern Munich players will only let their stunning 8-2 UEFA Champions League quarter-final victory on Friday sink in for a day.

Club head coach Hansi Flick believes, however, that if they are to win the title they still need to work hard.

Flick, who was assistant coach of Germany in their historic 7-1 demolition of hosts Brazil en route to the World Cup title in 2014, said his players now needed to stay grounded.

He said this was necessary ahead of a semi-final against either Manchester City or Olympique Lyonnais.

“You know that I do not look back because only the here and now matters,” Flick told reporters when asked about comparisons to Germany’s 2014 win.

“Yes, we played an outstanding game and we can be happy. But we all know we still have hard work to do if we are to stand in the end where we want to stand,” he added.

Bayern Munich have won the domestic league and Cup double and are looking to repeat their 2013 treble winning season.

“We know how quickly it can happen in football. We must recharge from tomorrow (Saturday) for the semi-finals,” Flick said.

On Friday the Bavarians scored four times in the first half against the Spanish former European champions, outclassing them with dizzying pace and quick breaks that left the Barca defence standing.

“It is a win and we wanted to reach the semi-finals. OK, it is impressive, we set a small marker.

“But the experienced players know that the next game awaits and we will need the same performance. Let it sink in, analyse and then prepare for the semi-final,” Flick said.

(Reuters/NAN)

BREAKING: NJC Releases List of Nominees For Supreme Court Appointments

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
BREAKING: NJC Releases List of Nominees For Supreme Court Appointments

The members of the last year’s Presidential Election Petition Court have been recommended to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court.

The two are Justices Abdu Aboki and Mohammed Garba, who headed the five-man court.

The other two who made the list of four candidates recommended for appointment as Justices of the apex court are Justices Tijjani Abubakar and Mohammed Saulawa.

A statement by the Director of Information of the National Judicial Council, Mr Soji Oye, disclosed on Friday that while Justice Abubakar represented the North-East Zone on the apex court’s bench, the rest of Justices Garba, Aboki and Saulawa, are to represent North-West.

According to Oye, the current 12 Justices, including the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, comprised two Justices from North Central, one from the North-East, one from North-West, three from South-East, one from the South-South and three from the South-West.

Justice Garba led the five-man Presidential Election Petition Court which heard the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of Buhari at the last year’s poll.

The court in a unanimous judgment dismissed Atiku’s petition and affirmed Buhari’s victory at the poll.

The judgment was later affirmed by a seven-man panel of the apex court, laying the dispute over the election to rest.

The Supreme Court, currently with 12 Justices on its bench, has been seeing a steady decline in the number of the Justices in the last two years.

Despite the persistent decline in the number of Justices, Buhari refused to attend to the list of four Justices comprising Justices Adamu Jauro, Emmanuel Agim, Sam Oseji, and Helen Ogunwumiju, recommended to the President for appointment to the apex court’s bench since October last year.

The newly recommended four nominees will add to the previous four, to make a new list of eight candidates recommended for appointment to the apex court’s bench.

The PUNCH

Sacked UNILAG VC Leads Workers’ Protest And Heads For Court

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
Sacked UNILAG VC Leads Workers' Protest And Heads For Court

The sacked Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, on Thursday led a protest again his removal by the governing council.

The sacking of the vice chancellor was announced during the meeting of the Governing Council of UNILAG at the National Universities Commission in Abuja on Wednesday.

The meeting was chaired by the UNILAG Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of its Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin.

The Thursday protest was held by four unions of the university –  the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, National Association of Academic Technologists, and Non-Academic Staff Union.

Ogundipe walked with the union members from the Senate building to the school’s gate.

Ogundipe, who later addressed the union members, said, “I remain dedicated to UNILAG. We are all builders and have all invested so much to this great university. I have been here for 30 years in different capacities. Let’s wait for the directives from the government. I remain a functional member of the union; we are enjoying peace here, let’s remain peaceful,” he said.

The unions also called on the Ministry of Education and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission to intervene in the crisis.

A statement jointly signed by the unions reads partly, “Our unions are using this medium to call on the Minister of Education and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission to stop this charade and lawlessness being perpetrated by the Dr Wale Babalakin-led University of Lagos Council given its potentials for causing disharmony and industrial instability in the University of Lagos.”

ASUU-UNILAG Chairman, Dr Dele Ashiru, also said, “We condemn in its totality the purported removal of our Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe. We affirm our absolute confidence in the leadership of Prof. Toyin Ogundipe as the Vice Chancellor of UNILAG.”

The NAAT Chairman, Mr Sulyman Lawal; NASU Chairman, Mr Ajibade Kehinde and SSANU Chairman, Mr Olusola Sowunmi, also voiced their disapproval of the removal of the VC.”

Meanwhile, Ogundipe has engaged a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, to file a suit to challenge his removal from office.

His letter of instruction dated August 12, 2020, and addressed to Ozekhome, was seen by our correspondent on Thursday.

Ogundipe stated in the letter that the act was without due process and contrary to the university’s Act.

His instruction to Ozekhome on his official letterhead reads in part, “I hereby formally brief you to institute legal proceedings against the council, pro-chancellor of the University of Lagos, and others based on their illegal and unconstitutional act of purportedly removing me from office as the vice chancellor of the University of Lagos.

“I honestly believe that this action was carried out without due process and contrary to the university’s Act and other extant laws governing discipline, suspension and removal of the vice chancellor of the university.

Ozekhome confirmed receiving Ogundipe’s instructions to challenge his sacking in court.

Also, UNILAG Senate has rejected Ogundipe’s removal as the institution’s VC.

In a resolution on Thursday, the top decision-making body of the institution passed a vote of no confidence in the council led by Babalakin and called for its dissolution.

The body also rejected the appointment of an acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Theophilus Soyombo.

The resolution was signed by the Senate Chairman, Prof. Chioma Agomo, and five other members: Prof. Dele Olowokudejo, Prof. Oluwole Atoyebi, Prof. Folasade Akinsola, Prof. Lucian Chukwu and Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa.

“Due process was not followed in the purported appointment of the acting vice chancellor as the Senate was neither informed nor invited to forward its recommendation to council.

“Its functions and its powers have been completely appropriated by the council in breach of the law.

“Senate resolved to reaffirm its confidence in Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, as the substantive Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos,” the statement said.

The PUNCH.

Police Arrest Pastor For Using Girl’s Menstrual Pad For Rituals In Ondo

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
Police Arrest Pastor For Using Girl’s Menstrual Pad For Rituals In Ondo

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a pastor identified as Festus Adebayo for allegedly conspiring with another man, Gbemisola Olafusi, to use a girl’s menstrual pad for rituals.

Olafusi is said to be the 20-year-old girl’s boyfriend, and allegedly collected her menstrual pad and gave it to Adebayo for ritual purposes in December 2019.

The incident occurred at No. 17 Abayomi Upper Ayeyemi, Ondo town.

According to a source, some months after the menstrual pad was collected, the victim started experiencing some discharges from her private parts.

“This raised the suspicion of the girl’s family and some people around that she might have been used for rituals.

Following their suspicion, the father of the girl reported the matter at the police station.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, said investigation had commenced.

“The father of the victim reported the case in Ondo that he suspected that his daughter was used for rituals by the men,” the PPRO stated.

He said the matter had been transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.    ,,

The PUNCH.

Nigerians Urge Mailafia To Reveal Boko Haram’s Sponsor-Governor

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
Nigerians Urge Mailafia To Reveal Boko Haram's Sponsor-Governor

Nigerians have called on the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia, to reveal the identity of the governor, he alleged to be a leader of the terror group, Boko Haram.

Mailafia during a radio interview in Abuja said that some repentant Boko Haram members had told him that a serving northern governor is a Boko Haram leader.

He said, “Some of us also have our intelligence networks. I have met with some of the bandits; we have met with some of their high commanders – one or two who have repented – they have sat down with us not once, not twice.

“They told us that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria.”

Mailafia, who was a presidential candidate in the last election also alleged that Boko Haram intends to cause a second civil war in Nigeria.

In a poll conducted by PUNCH on its social media pages, respondents overwhelmingly demanded to know the serving northern governor who is the Boko Haram commander.

To the question; “Should Mailafia name the northern governor that is the claimed Boko Haram leader?,” 90.2 per cent of respondents voted ‘Yes’, 22.8 per cent said no, while 2.2 per cent of the total respondents didn’t pick either choice.

On Facebook, 94 per cent of those who voted said Mailafia should reveal the governor’s identity while six per cent of the respondents were against the reveal.

On Twitter, those who called for the revelation of the identity of the governor were 87.6 per cent, 5.8 per cent voted ‘No’ while 6.6 per cent of the respondents didn’t care either way.

On Instagram, 89 per cent of those who voted called for a reveal of the identity of the governor, while 11 per cent voted against any such revelation.

The PUNCH

For Raping A Minor, Teacher Gets Sentenced For Life In Ondo

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
For Raping A Minor, Teacher Gets Sentenced For Life In Ondo

Omotayo Adanlawo, a Primary School Teacher in Ondo State, was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a 10-year-old girl.

He was jailed by the state’s High Court in Akure, the capital, after he used N50 to lure the little girl before defiling her.

The teacher had on August 28, 2018, committed the offence in the family house of the victim and threatened her not to tell anyone or she will die.

SaharaReporters gathered that a few weeks after the incident, the girl began to complain of stomach pains and could not also walk properly.

She was taken to a private hospital where a test confirmed that she had been raped.

The victim later opened up and explained that Adanlawo, who also attends the same church with her father, forcefully had sexual intercourse with her.

The case was first reported at Iju/Itaogbolu Police Division but later transferred to Ala Area Command in Akure.

The primary school teacher in his confessional statement confirmed to the court that he gave the girl “N50 and chinchin” before the incident.

Ruling on Thursday, Justice Samuel Bola said the prosecution was able to prove there was penetration in the rape allegation against Mr Adanlawo.

The judge said the teacher failed to give convincing evidence to prove his innocence in the case and sentenced him to life imprisonment in line with section 358 of the criminal laws of Ondo State.

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