Following the intensified insurgency attacks across the country, particularly in the northern part of the country , the Nigerian Army has recalled a large number of its personnel studying in civil institutions (universities and polytechnics) across the country.
This was disclosed according to a leaked memo by the Nigerian Army Headquarters, Department of Army Training, Abuja.
In the memo dated May 11, the Nigerian Army also suspended the sponsorship of personnel in civil institutions with the exemption of students in the final year.
This is happening as the army continues to suffer heavy casualties in its counter-insurgency operations that have seen hundreds of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists also neutralised by gallant Nigerian troops.
In one of the recent attacks, more than 30 soldiers were reportedly killed in April when Islamic State-aligned fighters ambushed a military convoy escorting weapons and overran a base in Mainok, Borno State.
A month earlier, about 30 soldiers were reportedly killed in four attacks by Islamist militants in the North-East.
On April 1, 2021, five soldiers and two villagers were killed in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. About 10 soldiers were also killed in the Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State on April 9.
On April 26, wherein 40 persons were killed in Anambra, Imo, Kebbi and Rivers states, two soldiers and three policemen were among the casualties.
The Presidency on Friday night said a former Managing Director of Federal Mortgage Bank, declared wanted by the anti-graft body, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is no longer an in-law of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement said it was unfortunate to bring President Buhari’s family into the case since the relationship with the fugitive had ended some years ago.
The ICPC had declared Gimba Yau Kumo, believed to be a son-in-law of the President, wanted over an alleged $65 million fraud.
Kumo, who got married to Fatima, one of the president’s daughters in 2016, was alleged to have perpetrated the crime alongside one Tarry Rufus and another Bola Ogunsola.
The statement reads in parts : “A running story to the effect that the ICPC has declared ‘an in-law of the President’ wanted in connection with fraud involving the large sum of money, USD65 million to be exact, should normally be an affirmation that our anti-corruption agencies/institutions are truly independent and allowed unfettered freedom by the President, which in fact is the case.
That a state institution can issue such is a measure of the administration’s commitment to accountability, equality and justice.
“To set the records straight, the person declared wanted by the ICPC is not an in-law to President Buhari.
“While at some point in time, the said fugitive from justice had been linked to a family member in marriage, that relationship has ended some years ago.
“It is therefore unfortunate to bring the President’s family into this case. It is in our view an attempt to generate views and sell copies of sensational reporting.”
Parents and relatives of the 16 remaining kidnapped students and three members of the staff of Greenfield University, Kaduna, on Friday said that they have run out of cash to pay as ransom after already sending N60 million to the abductors.
Recall that the bandits are insisting on collecting the balance of N100 million for them to release their captives.
The traumatised parents, who gathered for another prayer session in Kaduna for the safe return of the abductees yesterday, pleaded with the federal government to assist them in getting freedom for the students.
They said the cumulative ransom of N160 million demanded by the gunmen is beyond them (parents).
They said the innocent students have already spent 24 troubled days in the kidnappers’ den
The Chairman, Marcus Yari, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to do all within his power to secure the release of the students before something sinister happens to them.
According to him, the kidnappers are demanding the sum of N10 million for each of the 16 students, making N160 million, even after the parents have collectively paid them over N60 million ransom.
Yari said having exhausted all the money they have to pay as ransom, “we the parents are appealing to the Federal Government to assist us to pay the ransom demanded or find any other way to ensure the safe return of our children.”
He added: “The same strategy that was adopted to rescue the kidnapped students in Jangebe, Zamfara State, Kankara in Katsina State, Kagara in Niger State and Afaka in Kaduna State should be adopted by the Federal Government to rescue our children too, because they are also Nigerians.”
Among those kidnapped by the bandits is a woman whose daughter, Esther Chukwuemeka, joined in praying for the release of the abducted persons.
Esther said that her mother’s absence has created a vacuum in their family and appealed to the bandits to release her mother.
sity Students Beg FG
Parents and relatives of the 16 remaining kidnapped students and three members of the staff of Greenfield University, Kaduna, on Friday said that they have run out of cash to pay as ransom after already sending N60 million to the abductors.
Recall that the bandits are insisting on collecting the balance of N100 million for them to release their captives.
The traumatised parents, who gathered for another prayer session in Kaduna for the safe return of the abductees yesterday, pleaded with the federal government to assist them in getting freedom for the students.
They said the cumulative ransom of N160 million demanded by the gunmen is beyond them (parents).
They said the innocent students have already spent 24 troubled days in the kidnappers’ den
The Chairman, Marcus Yari, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to do all within his power to secure the release of the students before something sinister happens to them.
According to him, the kidnappers are demanding the sum of N10 million for each of the 16 students, making N160 million, even after the parents have collectively paid them over N60 million ransom.
Yari said having exhausted all the money they have to pay as ransom, “we the parents are appealing to the Federal Government to assist us to pay the ransom demanded or find any other way to ensure the safe return of our children.”
He added: “The same strategy that was adopted to rescue the kidnapped students in Jangebe, Zamfara State, Kankara in Katsina State, Kagara in Niger State and Afaka in Kaduna State should be adopted by the Federal Government to rescue our children too, because they are also Nigerians.”
Among those kidnapped by the bandits is a woman whose daughter, Esther Chukwuemeka, joined in praying for the release of the abducted persons.
Esther said that her mother’s absence has created a vacuum in their family and appealed to the bandits to release her mother.
My name is Kufre Effiong. I am aware of some social media publications attempting to link me up with the gruesome murder of Late Ms. INIUBONG UMOREN. At first, I had wanted to maintain silence and allow the Police and the various agencies involved in the matter conclude their investigations and come up with comprehensive report but it now appears clear to me that silence is not golden in this matter where my hard earned reputation has continued to gather moss in the most misguided, misleading and mischievous manner in the court of the Nigerian social media.
Consequently, I am left with no other option than to make this public statement narrating my role in the trending subject and this I do, not to convince or change the predetermined positions and conviction of people who are bent on imputing ills even on the best of human’s intention for I have already warned myself that no matter how hard and loudly the truth speaks for itself, there are some who would prefer and give themselves to alternative facts. I leave such men and women in the hands of God, time and posterity.
With all modesty and good conscience, I make this statement for the records and information of members of the public who are genuinely concerned about the need to know my true side of the story.
The day was Friday, 30th of April, 2021 and the time was about 2 pm when I was called by my Dad who lives in Lagos, asking whether I have seen a trending article on the social media linking Uduak (who is my cousin) with a kidnap case. Not long afterwards, another cousin of mine who is incidentally the Chairman of Uruan Local Government Council, called to intimate me on the same social media circulations and requested me to come to his house as Uduak’s father, Mr Frank Akpan has been reportedly arrested on account that the son, Uduak has absconded.
On arrival at the Chairman’s house, he told me that he was concerned that the arrested old man was sick and needed medication since he did not carry his drugs to the police station. According to the Chairman, some kinsmen were calling seeking his intervention to explore the possibility of allowing the old man access to his medications.
I was still at the Chairman’s house discussing Mr. Frank Akpan’s case when in the presence of the DPO who had a meeting with the Chairman and another DSP, Uduak called my phone asking if I knew where his father was. Initially, I was upset with Uduak for asking me the whereabouts of his father and immediately signaled the DPO that Uduak was the person who called and somehow, I managed to find the composure telling him that I was seeing the trending social media news involving him. Then Uduak said he had no credit and requested me to call him. Obliging to this his request, I called him back asking where he was and he replied that he was at Oron. Further asking about the missing girl, Uduak claimed that he lose contact with the girl when she got to Ibiaku, stating that he has neither seen nor heard from her since then.
He practically claimed to be innocent.
At that point, I encouraged him to turn himself in by going to the Idu Police Division to clear himself so his father can be released to go and take his drugs or that I can link him up with the DPO who is closed to us. Later, in the presence of one of our brothers, a Barrister who had come to see the Chairman, I forwarded the DPO’s phone number to Uduak. It was not long afterwards when Uduak called the DPO who encouraged him to come out, assuring him that he could personally come to the Shelter Afrique Junction to pick him up on arrival. While there all waiting and praying that the suspect does not change his mind, Uduak called the DPO informing him that he has arrived Shelter Afrique Junction.
The DPO then suggested that he will not go with his car to pick him so he does not panic and react adversely on sighting his car which has tinted glass. Rather, he requested that I drove him to the location and thus, accompanied by the DSP, I drove the DPO in my car to Shelter Afrique Junction where the suspect was picked up by the DPO.
Meanwhile, before we moved out, the Council Chairman had instructed that the suspect be taken to the Anti-kidnapping Unit directly but the DPO advised that he should first be taken Chairman’s house to calmed him down and encourage him to cooperate with the Police and thus, the suspect was taken to Ewet Housing.
At Ewet Housing, the suspect still denied knowing the whereabouts of the deceased, maintaining that he last heard from her when she said she has got to Ibiaku Junction but when we pressure him further, the suspect requested that he needed audience with the Chairman and myself alone. So, we took him in urging him to tell us the truth to enable us assist him where necessary. It was at that point that Uduak mentioned for the first time that the missing young lady actually got to his house. On hearing that, I could not find any emotional intelligence or coordination other than to ask and I asked straight, “is she alive?” Uduak started crying and shook his head to indicate that she was no more!
At that point, I lose it completely and almost fainted but managed to give him few slaps. I became completely distraught, devastated, incensed and confused at the same time. I was wailing like a woman who has just lost all and so was the Chairman. With that mixed frustration and infuriation, we quickly handed the suspect back to the DPO to take to the Anti-kidnapping Unit and this, we did without any second thought, telling the DPO that we had washed our hands off the matter and would not wish to be associated with it.
Accordingly, the suspect was taken to the Police custody where interrogations and thorough investigations are being carried out by the Police and the sister law enforcement agencies. I have no doubt that the suspect would have made useful statements to the Police to guide their further actions on the matter.
Unfortunately, the social media has been overflowing with so much damaging publications trying to link me up with the crime and further extending it beyond the specific incidence of Late Ms Umoren to an atrocious trade on human parts. Well, I want to state that I do not know about the suspect’s activities since he never lived or grew up with me. My role in the entire case is as stated and remains verifiably so.
Voluntarily on my own, I have made statement to the Police on record and they are fully aware of my role in the case. I have also assured them of my cooperation whenever and wherever I may necessarily be called upon.
As a human, I am deeply saddened and devastated by the turn out of event as all the three of us namely the DPO, the Council Chairman and myself who facilitated the arrest of the suspect are now facing false, malicious and damaging media attack trying desperately to link us with the offence in respect of which we made lots of sacrifices to ensure the suspect got into the Police net where he is currently being detained, interrogated and investigated.
Personally, I have been receiving threat messages from some over-zealous individuals who have labeled me trader on human parts. Now everybody who has lost friend or family member to kidnap cases, view me as the culprit. I no longer feel safe walking the street as a simple and ordinary man that I have always been but I have no regret that I measured up squarely to that responsibility of bringing out the criminal suspect face to face with the law. I am consoled that the suspect is in lawful custody and will be prosecuted in line with the law of our land. So, if this is the price I have to pay for bringing the murderer of my sister from another mother to face the law, I embrace this very heavy burden and trust that both time and God will be kind enough to redeem my image so misguidedly tarnished.
My only regret is that, there is no absolute reparation and replacement for the tender life so heartlessly and callously terminated at its prime stage. I commiserate with family and friends of the dearly departed and hope that justice will be done in the matter.
Notwithstanding above, honestly being my role in the matter and my conscience being crystal clear, if any person or group of persons know more than the Police do or possess within their exclusive preserves, any evidence linking me or anyone else with criminal act of Uduak Frank Akpan, they should freely approach the Police authority and make useful disclosures on such information rather than submerge the public media with speculative allegations aimed at constituting media trials and securing street convictions for very responsible persons who played sensitive and critical roles leading to the arrest of the suspect by the Police.
The popular actor, Olanrewaju James, known as Baba Ijesha, is said to traumatised and walks with difficulties in police detention, his lawyer, Adesina Ogunlana, has said.
Ogunlana said this in a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police seeking Baba Ijesha’s bail on Friday.
A copy of the letter obtained by our correspondent was dated, May 14, 2021, and titled ‘Re: Olanrewaju James Omiyinka application for immediate grant of bail’.
Narrating his observation after his visitation to Baba Ijesha in police detention, Ogunlana said the rape suspect is also looking abnormally weak and lean.
The letter reads, “We are aware that a piece of legal advice on our client’s matter has been issued about two weeks ago, disclosing prospective charges of bailable character.
“From all indications, the investigation has been concluded in his matter and it is inconceivable that the issuance of legal advice will now be a basis for the denial of bail as you have been widely reported in the press to have claimed.
“We submit that the continuous detention of Mr Olanrewaju James Omiyinka at your SCID Panti Yaba facility, for about thirty days now, in our respectful view, is in gross breach of his fundamental human rights as cognisable under the 1999 constitution the grand norm of the nation’s legal architecture.
“As of today when I met with Omiyinka in the company of his thespian colleague and ready surety, Mr Yomi Fabiyi, he appeared traumatised, emaciated, and walked with a limp in his right leg. May I assure you, sir, that Mr Omiyinka is not a flight risk and he is prepared to face trial.”
The registration process for the 2021 /22 unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination has recorded at least 600,000 failed attempts, according to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
This has dash the ambitions of several would be students to proceed to higher institutions in 2021.
More than 1.1 million candidates have registered so far, and the board expects 1.9 million candidates to register, said JAMB registrar Ishaq Oloyede.
Speaking during a virtual meeting with 2021 UTME committee members on Friday, Oloyede said the possibility of shifting the exam date scheduled to hold between June 5 and 19 was very high.
The JAMB boss said though 50 per cent of candidates have already registered without problem, he said the board will analyse what is happening and know where the problem is coming from.
He added that after meeting with stakeholders, they will decide on whether to shift the exam forward or not.
“Shifting the exam date is not the solution, at the meeting we will discuss how some of the problems encountered by candidates would be resolved. It is important that we carry everyone along”, he added.
While apologising for the new initiatives introduced in the 2021 UTME, Prof Oloyede explained that it was not to punish candidates but to rather expose candidates in the habit of indulging in various forms of malpractices.
He explained that candidates are expected to provide two pictures in the exam script, pictures of who register for the exam and of persons who register for NIN.
While calling on candidates to take note of the process, he said that the essence was to dictate any disparity in the process.
“We apologise for putting you through some hardship in the registration. The government directed that anyone participating in JAMB must have their NIN. This is beyond our control. Those who are yet to register should do so,” he added.
He said the MOCK exam, which is to come up on Thursday, is an exam meant to test out capability, as the main exam is coming up on June 5 and 19.
He further disclosed that JAMB has secured about 802 exam centres across the country and 104 centres in towns adding that Lagos state alone has four centres.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Gbajabiamila may have distanced himself from the unpopular position of the Senate President as the House of Representatives today clarified that the Speaker did not oppose the southern governors’ calls for restructuring and ban on open grazing.
The House, in a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, insisted that the online and traditional media’s publication that the speaker is opposed to the southern governors’ call for restructuring is false and misleading.
Kalu, therefore, cautioned the media to be mindful of peddling false news in the bid to misinform the general public, saying this is misleading and detrimental to the country’s democracy.
The statement reads in bits ; “The attention of the House has been drawn to several publications on online and traditional media claiming that the Speaker, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, is opposed to the southern governors’ call for restructuring.”
The spokesperson, however, restated the accurate reproduction of the statements made by Gbajabiamila.
“This is not a time for name-calling or blaming one person or the other. If truth be told, we all have equal shares in the blame and whatever challenges we have, we all must come together. In the same way we all have equal shares, we must all come together to make sure that we resolve whatever issues there are.
“Like I said earlier, the greatest nations have gone through challenges worse than this and I believe that it is that spirit of oneness and that spirit of togetherness and unity and love that will take us through this. You know sometimes there are many things that people have said here and there and you never know where these things are coming from.
“Sometimes God even puts you through challenges so that you can come out of it stronger, bigger, better, bolder. That’s what I believe is gonna happen to Nigeria. We’re all put together in this one geographical space for a reason. It wasn’t by happenstance or coincidence or by chance.
“It was ordained by Almighty God and He doesn’t make mistakes, He doesn’t go wrong. What He decrees is what will be and I believe He put us all together. No matter your religion, no matter your ethnicity, talking about over 250 ethnic groups in one country, it is that diversity that God had foreseen that I believe we should tap into as Nigerians.
“I have belief in the Nigerian resilience and in the Nigerian spirit; and in the spirit of Ramadan, we must continue to pray,” the Speaker had said.
Kalu stressed that it was clear to objective reason that nothing in the above statement opposes the southern governors’ call for restructuring.
He noted that Indeed, from the beginning of the 9th Assembly, the House under the leadership of Gbajabiamila has reiterated its commitment to a thorough review of the 1999 Constitution as can be seen by the composition and activities of the Constitutional Review Committee of the House.
The House, therefore, urged Nigerians to disregard this news and continue to pray for a peaceful Nigeria.
The Nigerian Army has arrested one of the most notorious bandit leaders terrorising communities in an operation in forests and other hideouts of bandits across three local government areas of Niger State
The bandit leader, popularly known as Jack Bros Yellow, was allegedly arrested from one of the forests between Shiroro and Rafi local government areas.
According to a reliable source , close to one of the communities said after his arrest, some other members of the gangs wreaking havoc on the people have gone into hiding.
The source further stated that , “Jack Bros Yellow is the leader of one of the three groups of bandits that are operating around Shiroro, Rafi and Munya local government areas.
“Jack Bros Yellow is among those who asked some communities to pay N3 million regular levy for peace to reign but when the money was paid, the other gang leaders short-changed him and his boys came and kidnapped about nine women from Galape village after Galkogo, Shiroro local government in January this year.”
“He demanded a ransom of N10 million for the release of those women, and they had been in his custody since that January 5th until his arrest last week, but we are yet to see the women.”
Jack Bros Yellow, it was further learnt has a link with some groups of bandits in Zamfara State where he purportedly keeps victims if ransom is not paid on time.
In another development, a housewife (name withheld) was said to have been kidnapped on Thursday and gang raped by a group of armed bandits in Suna village, Shiroro local government area.
The woman was abducted after leaving the Internally Displaced Persons’ camp in Zumba in search of some foodstuffs, and raped by five bandits in a nearby bush to a point of death and afterward abandoned her.
She was rescued and presently receiving medical treatment at the Minna General Hospital.
Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-political group, on Friday, said it cannot trust the National Assembly to champion its call for restructuring of the country.
The leader of the group, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, said this at the general meeting of the group, held at his Ijebu-Ogbo home town in Ogun State.
He said, “We do not believe in the National Assembly which is a product of this fraudulent constitution to amend the constitution.
“It is immoral and illogical for a product of fraud to amend the fraud,” the group insisted.
In a communique issued after the meeting and made available to newsmen , Afenifere backed Southern governors’ position on a ban of open grazing and call for restructuring.
It reads in parts, “Afenifere is in total support of the decision of governors of the 17 states in Nigeria banning open grazing of livestock in any of the states that they control.
“Afenifere felt that although the declaration by the governors ought to have come long before now, given the atrocities that have arisen from open grazing, it is better late than never,” it reads.
Afenifere added that it “is delighted to note that ‘restructuring’ as a workable recipe for stopping Nigeria from falling apart, is becoming more popular and winning converts on a daily basis.
“We are delighted because ‘restructuring’ is something we have been advocating for a long time.”
It also renewed its call for President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation, saying he had no clue of Nigeria’s problems.
The group equally noted that if Buhari failed to quit, he would “plunge the country into a crisis which nobody can foretell its end.”
At the meeting, which attracted delegates of the Afenifere group from across the country, Adebanjo was unveiled as the new leader of the group after a caucus meeting and a general assembly.
Arising from the meeting, Adebanjo declared that Buhari had failed woefully and had no clue to the problems facing the country.
Flanked by the Deputy Leader, Oba Olaitan Alaago and the General Secretary, Chief Sola Ebiseni, the Afenifere leader maintained that the group was not clamouring for secession, but true federalism through the restructuring of the country.
He maintained that it was mischievous for the Presidency to accuse advocates of restructuring as secessionists and separatists.
Adebanjo said: “I assert Gen. Buhari has failed woefully, he has no clue to the problems facing Nigeria. He should go now before he plunged the country into a crisis the end of which nobody can foretell.
“Our resolve for the restructuring of the country back to federalism is unshakeable.
“We assert we are no secessionist. It is those who oppose restructuring that are enemies of a united Nigeria. That all opponents of restructuring give impetus to secessionists.
“The clamour for the return of the country to federalism is born out of the obnoxious provision in the constitution which has made economic and political progress impossible and this has been the main cause of instability in the country.”
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has paraded Uduak Frank Akpan, the suspected killer of a job seeker, Iniubong Umoren to dismiss rumour of his death in custody.
The suspect who was paraded alongside his father, said he killed the girl in self defense and not intentionally.
According to him; “I asked her whether she could work in a farm where hard drugs were kept; she said she could,” Akpan said during a session monitored Live.
“I asked her that I would like to have sex with her before she left. She agreed and gave a condition that I would have to use condom, which I did.
“While I removed the condom, she became furious and removed the nearby stabilizer to hit me on the head… While I was bleeding, in other to stop her, I used the stabilizer to hit her. When I hit her, she fell.”
Uduak, who claimed he hit the victim with a pressing iron, also atmitted at a point that five other ladies had suffered a similar fate in his hands, although none died.
In his own account, Uduak’s father claimed he was not aware of his son’s criminal activities until he was invited to Uran Police Station.
“I wasn’t aware, I’m not happy about it,” he said. “I was asked to call him and I called him back. When he arrived, I was allowed to interact with him. He told me he did something wrong and that he was sorry. I blamed him: ‘Why did you do this? You are not my only child; I have two other children and they are women. If anybody does this to your sisters would you be happy?’ He said no.”
Addressing newsmen during the event, Andrew Amiengheme, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, debunked claims that there were shallow graves and bones at the crime scene.
“There are no shallow graves anywhere; there are no bones anywhere,” he said. “That is the truth. But if anybody can show me any shallow grave there, go and show me. But I know there are no shallow graves.”
Also, the state commissioner of police,said it was necessary to have the press conference because of the rumour that was going around in the media that the suspect had committed suicide in the cell.
“I don’t know anywhere in the world that a suspect will be allowed to use trousers in the cell to the extent of killing himself with it.
“Social media that is supposed to be a tool that will work to the advantage of the police has become something that is working against them,” he said.
