News
Maryam Sanda, the wife of Late Bilyaminu Bello has been sentenced to death by hanging by an FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, for killing her husband.
The court found Sanda guilty and thus convicted her of the charges. She is to be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre until she exhausts her appeal rights.
Earlier, the judge stood down the matter for five minutes following the drama that ensued after the conviction was passed, as Sanda fled the dock immediately the judge convicted her.
However, court officials and prisons officials dragged her back into the dock.
The judge was forced to rise after several women started wailing in the court room.
One of them who made attempt to approach Maryam was ordered to be taken away by the judge.
Justice Yusuf Halliru rose for 5 minutes to return for sentencing.
As at the time of filing this report, Maryam was still wailing and shouting “Inna liLlahi wa inna iLaihi raji’un”, while efforts are being made by her family and lawyer to console her.
She was heard saying, “I was fasting and praying … Ya Allah, why?” as court officials announced that the judge was about to return for sentencing.
Maryam was tried before the court for allegedly killing Bello, her husband, who was a nephew of former PDP Chairman, Alhaji Bello Halliru Muhammad.
Maryam was docked alongside her mother, Maimuna Aliyu, a former Executive Director of Aso Savings and Loans; her brother, Aliyu Sanda and her housemaid, Sadiya Aminu, who were charged with assisting her to conceal the evidence by cleaning the blood of the deceased from the scene of the crime. They pleaded not guilty. They all filed no-case submissions after the police had called six witnesses to corroborate the charge.
The trial judge discharged others while he held that Maryam has a case to answer.
* enjoins public to maintain proper hygiene
* avoid contact with rodents
* warm and cover food properly to fight lassa fever
Residents of Ogun State have been urged to maintain proper hygiene and avoid contact with rodents while ensuring that foods are properly warmed and covered before eating.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker gave this advice in a Press Release debunking the rumour that the victim of Lassa Fever in the State was dead.
Dr Coker who confirmed that a case of Lassa fever was detected in the state, gave a firm assurance that all is being done to contain it.
According to her, "the suspected Lassa fever case was confirmed by the Ogun State Virology Laboratory on January 24, 2020 and the patient is a pregnant 29 year- old who took ill and was referred to the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Abeokuta.
However, contrary to some reports circulating in the media; the Commissioner noted that; “the patient is not dead as she was transferred to the Federal Specialist Hospital in Irua, Edo State, whose facilities provide the patient with the full benefit of multidisciplinary care required for her due to her pregnancy.”
She further stated that the Rapid Response Team has commenced line listing of all who have come into contact with the patient for surveillance purposes, including her relatives and hospital staff that managed the case.
Dr Coker assured members of the public that the State Government acted proactively by putting all counter measures in place to contain the situation.
Urging residents to maintain proper hygiene, Coker stated that members of the public should avoid contact with rodents, pointing out that they should cover their food properly and ensure that their food is warmed before eating it.
“We have given thermometers to those who have been in contact with the patient to monitor their temperatures and also provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at the designated treatment centre at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.
“Our health educators and officers have been deployed into action and are educating the public on ways to avoid being infected with Lassa fever.
“Other emerging or suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fevers are to be isolated in the designated quarantine areas for barriers nursing until a definitive diagnosis is concluded.
“The State Epidemiologist and DNSO should immediately be notified on telephone numbers 09099140121 and 09099140122 in case of any suspected case,” Dr Coker added.
The father of Ayodeji Olatomide , the officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, who went missing six days to Christmas on December 19, 1999, has cried out that he is yet to see his son.
Mr Olatomide who expressed anxiety and fear on the sudden disappearance of his child said the family has been so worried as nobody has the slightest idea what has happened to him till date.
The missing FRSC personnel, identified as Ayodeji Olatomide, works at the FRSC Headquarters in Osogbo, Osun State.
According to his father, he went to submit a form at their Head Office on the day he was found missing.
He is a Road Marshall 2 with service number M-1907-21169.
The family has appealed to anybody with useful information on him to contact his family on the mobile phone number 09068089677 or the nearest police station.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Kenneth Ebrimson has advised parents to always take seriously the security and wellbeing of their children to shield them from criminals looking for every means to be wealthy.
The CP gave this advice in a Press Statement released by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO of the State Command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, to inform of the arrest of 3 suspects caught with a 4 year old boy, Hammed Adeniran who was stolen from his home.
According to the release received by Nigerian Newstrack, the suspects Abubakar Saidu m', 22years, Danladi Abdulkarim m' 30 years and Abdullah Idris m' 25 years were arrested while trying to escape with the stolen 4 year old boy, on the 24th of January, 2020 around Arepo bus stop along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The PPRO explained that the arrest of the 3 suspects followed a complaint by the mother of the child, one Nimota Adeniran who reported at Warewa Police Station that she was alerted by one of her neighbours that her son was sighted with three strange men at Arepo bus stop along Lagos Ibadan expressway where they were waiting to board a vehicle.
He said, the complainant, narrated how she started looking for her son only to discover that he was no longer where she left him.
DSP Oyeyemi said "It was on the strength of the report, that the DPO Warewa Division, SP Folake Afeniforo mobilized a team of Policemen and raced to the Bus Stop where they met the three suspected criminals waiting to board vehicle, with the young boy in their possession.
He stated that, on interrogation, the three suspects who claimed to have come from Jigawa State could not give any reasonable account of why the child was seen with them or why they wanted to board commercial bus with the child.
The Police spokesperson said the child has been reunited with his parents while the suspects are undergoing interrogation.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police CP Kenneth Ebrimson has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID for discreet investigation and possible prosecution.
The CP also warned Parents not to neglect their children but always take serious, their security and wellbeing.
He advised that the children should be well protected from those desperately looking for money and could do anything to be rich.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed that 195 confirmed cases of Lassa Fever have been reported in 11 states, with 29 deaths so far recorded.
It also disclosed that 89 per cent of the confirmed cases are from Ondo, Edo and Ebonyi states, and the increase in the number of cases at this time of the year was not unusual due to ecological factors.
NCDC Director-General Mr Chikwe Ihekweazu, in a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, disclosed that NCDC has activated a National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in response to the rising number of Lassa Fever cases across states in the country.
The National EOC, he explained, include representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Environment, World Health Organization, UNICEF, US Centre for Disease Control, and other partners.
He disclosed that there has been a significant decline in fatality rate of reported Lassa Fever cases from 23.4 per cent in 2019 to 14.8 per cent this year.
Ihekweazu said that NCDC has rapidly increased risk communications and community engagement activities to ensure that Nigerians are aware of the risks of Lassa Fever and measures to protect themselves.
He promised that NCDC would continue to support states in strengthening their preparedness and response capacity.
“Over the last three weeks, NCDC has deployed Rapid Response Teams (RRT) to support five of the affected states,” he said.
“In addition to that, five laboratories in Nigeria have the capacity to diagnose Lassa Fever. These laboratories are critical to reducing turn around time between identifying a suspected case and confirmation. It ensures prompt case management and other response activities, thereby reducing the number of deaths,” he added.
Sun
Some passengers came under gun attack around Rigasa train station in Kaduna state on Friday.
A security source told TheCable that the incident happened shortly after travellers from the nation’s capital arrived in Kaduna.
The source said the passengers were making plans to connect various destinations within the state when the gunmen struck.
“When the 6:30pm train from Abuja arrived Kaduna around 8pm, the passengers disembarked. Some of them proceeded to their destinations but those who tried to connect the town through the Rigasa-Airport road came under gunfire from suspected bandits,” the source said.
He added that some motorists abandoned their vehicles by the roadside during the attack.
TheCable could not independently verify if some persons were kidnapped in the incident which happened a week after Umaru Bubaram, emir of Potiskum in Yobe, was attacked in Kaduna.
The first-class monarch lost four of his aides in the attack. The Ansaru militant group later claimed responsibility.
Speaking on the latest attack, a resident said the gunmen fled following the prompt response of security personnel.
“There was an attempted attack on passengers around the Rigassa train station but it was repelled by the army, I don’t have the details,” the resident said.
Mr Samuel Aruwan, commissioner for internal security and home affairs, neither answered calls nor responded to a text message seeking his comment on the incident.
But Mr Yakubu Sabo, spokesman of Kaduna police command, said he was not aware of the attack.
He, however. promised to find out and get back but had not done so at the time of this report.
Kaduna is one of the states in the country with the highest rate of insecurity. The fear of kidnappers and bandits made many residents to abandon the Abuja-Kaduna highway. Many people feel safe boarding trains whenever they are travelling.
The Cable
The FCT Police Command has arrested the Chief of Ushafa in Bwari Area Council, Alhaji Mohammed Baba, following the alleged killing of a police officer by a mob at his palace.
The command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Anjuguri Manzah, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
He said the secretary to the chief’s palace, Mr Danlami Busa, was also arrested in connection with the case.
Manzah said ASP Eric Isaiah was murdered at the palace of the chief while trying to arrest one Moses Peter (Dogo), a suspect wanted for culpable homicide.
He said one Domnic Emmanuel, had on January 21, reported at Bwari Police Divisional Headquarters that his brother, Moses, engaged to work as mason was found unconscious after being attacked and severely injured.
According to Manzah, the brother told the police that Moses was rushed to Bwari General Hospital for medical attention and was able to provide vital information as to his assailants before he died.
He said Dogo and one John were fingered as the alleged perpetrators of the act.
According to him, on the strength of this, the Bwari Divisional Police Officer detailed his detectives to visit Ushafa village and make inquiries on the matter.
He said the detectives sighted and accosted Dogo who resisted arrest and invited his friends from a nearby drinking joint to intervene.
Manzah said his friends insisted that the suspect must be taken to the Chief of Ushafa palace before the police could effect his arrest.
He said the two police detectives obliged the crowd and went to the chief’s palace, where they met the secretary to the chief.
“Instead of addressing the issue, the chief’s secretary, at the instance of the Chief incited the crowd, who descended heavily on the two detectives.
“As a result, a re-enforcement team led by late ASP Eric Isaiah, Patrol and Guard Officer, Bwari Division, with three others were deployed.
“They arrived the scene with a police Hilux vehicle which was used to rescue the two officers who escaped with the suspect, Dogo.
“Sadly, the crowd brutally attacked and murdered ASP Eric Isaiah in cold blood after inflicting injuries on other members of the team,” he said.
Manzah said the Commissioner of Police in charge of FCT, Mr Bala Ciroma, had condemned the murder of the officer, describing it as barbaric and unpatriotic.
He said the CP had directed that the killers of the police officer be arrested and brought to justice.
The PPRO said the CP had warned that the command would not treat attack on police officers while on lawful duty with levity.
Leaders and wealthy Nigerians have been advised to invest their money in the country and stop taking it abroad in order to tackle the growing youth unemployment and poverty presently bedevilling the Nation.
Former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel gave this advice in Abeokuta, on Friday while fielding questions from reporters during a facility tour of his new Conference Hotel, ahead of its official opening to members of the public.
The former Governor explained that the capital flight carried out by Nigerians do the country and the citizens no good, stressing that if such funds stashed away in foreign lands such as Switzerland could be invested at home, it would definitely redeem thousands of jobless youths from the grip of poverty.
Chief Daniel disclosed that the new hotel initially had engaged about 300 hands who worked at the facility daily in the last six months, stating that he later recruited 200 additional staff on permanent employment.
He observed that if one investment from a single individual could provide such number of jobs to the youth, it is then left to the imagination, the quantum of Nigerians that would be empowered across the country if many of the nation’s wealthy individuals resolved to invest their monies in Nigeria instead of overseas countries.
Former Governor Daniel who declared that he has forgiven everybody that had a hand in the shutting down of his multi-million Naira five star Hotel located in a choice area of Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, for eight years said he does not have any difficulty with forgiving people.
According to him, “to forgive is divine. You know me, I don’t waste time to forgive and I guess everybody (connected with my hotel closure) has regretted it. The most important thing is that I’m alive. I took everything as the way God has planned it,”.
Chief Daniel who was not interested in mentioning names, however, said, he believes the man behind the locking up of the hotel with the attendant negative effects had “regretted” his action.
It will be recalled ,that shortly after the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun was inaugurated in May 2011, the hotel project which was nearing completion was sealed up and it remained under lock and keys till 12 midnight of May 28, 2019 when Amosun left office, after his eight years sojourn in Oke-Mosan Governor’s Office.
Armed and fierce looking policemen were stationed at the hotel entrance throughout the period, after they had chased workers away.
While the siege on the facility lasted, burglars, allegedly, had field days, routinely looting the electrical fittings, electronics and other valuables even as they vandalised some of the window panes.
The two time Governor of Ogun State on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), returned to the hotel this year, after the exit of Amosun’s administration.
The Nigeria House of Representatives has rejected the proposed Operation Positive Identification (OPI) planned by the Nigeria Army to commence nationwide on November 1.
Consequently, it charged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct Chief of Army Staff, Mr Tukur Buratai, to put the operation on hold pending due consultations on the OPI.
The House also directed its Committee on Army to immediately engage with Buratai to develop a pro-people security management strategy.
This followed adoption of a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader, Mr Ndudi Elumelu, at yesterday’s plenary, urging the House to intervene and halt the proposed military operation.
Elumelu, in his lead debate, argued that the Army was exceeding its constitutional brief by proposing to embark on a nationwide military operation without authorisation of the National Assembly.
According to him, 1999 Constitution (as amended) stipulates that before the Army can embark on any activity outside its brief, it must get approval of National Assembly.
The minority leader, who said he was not aware the parliament had given any such approval, contended that the operation, if allowed, will amount to an infringement on the rights of the citizens.
“If the proposed Operation Positive Identification is allowed, it will downgrade innocent Nigerians to suspects, prisoners and in fact, conquered persons in their own country, thereby stripping them of their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of movement, and instilling fear and anxiety in the citizenry.”
Mr Chukwuma Umeoji, an All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) member, who represents Aguata Federal Constituency of Anambra State, urged the Army to jettison the proposed operation as it is allien to the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“It it is worrisome that the military is increasingly been involved in primary civilian exercise. The government should initiate a programme for the withdrawal of the military from engagement that are primarily the constitutional role of the police. The militarisation of the country is dangerous for democracy, considering the history of the country. In the eyes of the international community, it portrays Nigeria as country at war with itself. The military is used for citizen identification only in occupied territory".
Sun
More Nigerians are now shunning transactions via Point of Sales (PoS) terminals; owing to the implementation of a ₦50 additional charge by merchants, as imposed by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in collaboration with the Nigeria Inter- Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).
CBN described the new service levy as Stamp Duty Charge.
Investigations showed that customers now avoid ePayment platform in preference for cash deals, thereby throwing a big spanner in the Federal Government’s financial inclusion drive and in particular, CBN’s cashless policy.
Customers, who previously cheered CBN’s decision to infuse the policy, saying it would eliminate the risk of carrying cash and reduce the cost of printing Naira notes, have criticised the move to collect stamp duty charges on PoS transactions.
It must also be mentioned that other payment channels, including the automated teller machines (ATMs), Instant Transfers, Online Banking, and Mobile Banking are still seriously challenged.
Already, financial transactions are replete with all manners of excess charges by banks and merchants, even when services are not delivered as and when due. According to the CBN 2017 to 2019 Banking Guide, Nigerians, especially bank customers are made to face several charges by the financial institutions.
These include N52.50k monthly card maintenance fee; N65 after third withdrawal in ATM interbank fees. Most times, banks remove the N65 at the first and subsequent withdrawals.
The banks still deduct N4 for SMS alerts, including unsolicited ones for birthday wishes, national and international day celebrations and operational updates.
There is also N52 deduction in electronic transfer service. Banks also collect as much as N4,000 as fee for hardware token and N4 for one-time pin (OTP) SMS charge as well as N20 per page of a Statement of Account, among others.
While all these are imposed, then comes the N50 Stamp Duty Charge on Nigerians, who use the PoS terminals.
According to customers, the new N50 charge, which has been implemented by many fuel stations and supermarkets in Lagos, has become a burden and a source of worry to them and merchants as well.
A visit to Ikeja shopping mall in Lagos showed that more customers made cash payments instead of transaction via PoS terminals.
The same situation played out at Hubmart, also at Ikeja. One of the officials, who preferred anonymity, said: “most people today (yesterday) made payments via cash. They said they can’t part with additional ₦50 charge.”
Also, some petrol stations, especially independent marketers, pasted a notice on the ₦50 additional charge on their walls for customers to see. An attendant at Petrocam, Oke -Afa, Lagos, who simply gave his name as Adetunji, said:” most people that have visited our station today to refill their tanks opted to pay with cash, even those that have been using cards before now. Some because of the ₦50 charge refused to refill their tanks.”
Indeed, while the interaction with Adetunji was on-going, a customer, Chinedu Okeke, entered to refill his tank via PoS, but immediately he saw the ₦50 notice, he opted to do cash. “I would rather pay with cash than pay N50 for a service that should be free of charge. What has this CBN or government done for the masses that they will impose this charge on us? The welfare of common citizens was not put into consideration while taking this devilish decision.”
Another customer who spoke to The Guardian after paying the ₦50 charge at Oando fuel station, Berger, Lagos reiterates that the process would only sabotage the cashless policy drive by CBN, as many customers would prefer paying with cash to evade the stamp duty levy.
According to the entrepreneur who identified herself as Adamma Nwachukwu, the apex bank is already frustrating its own policy cashless economy and financial inclusion through the N50 charge, saying: “it should be abolished forthwith as Nigerians already over-burdened with too many taxes, levies and charges without corresponding value for money.”
Confirming the drop in PoS transactions in a telephone chat with our correspondent, Managing Director, ITEX Integrated Services, a CBN licensed Super-Agent, Ernest Uduje, while commending the apex bank in the drive to improve financial inclusion in the country, insisted that “this ₦50 charge is ill-timed.”
According to him, transactions through PoS have dropped within the last few weeks. “In a nutshell, I think it is affecting transactions negatively, because now most businesses like filling stations, if you go there now, they will show you their prices, and they will say they will charge you ₦50 extra.
Then, in some places they will tell you go and bring cash, they are not interested because they don’t know other charges that will follow. “I don’t know why government is focusing on PoS alone because there are other platforms, the ATMs, and others. If they are looking at driving cashless, this is not a time to add additional fees. Already, merchants are suffering lots of other taxes directly and indirectly, then another ₦50. The merchant would just abandon the process and collect cash. “I still mentioned it to them at a function that government has reduced what we can charge. In other countries, they charge two to five per cent per transaction, depending on what you are doing. On our own, we came together and said we should do 1.75 per cent to encourage the market. But when CBN got into the entire process, they said go and start at 2.75; we will allow you to increase later on. Rather than increase it, they reduced it, and now charging ₦50.
“This means that on one hand you say you are encouraging people, you bring down to .5, to drive the numbers, but again you have added ₦50 as bank duty, so nobody is coming. We have seen a decline in our transaction volumes. I think there should be a rethink to stimulate the entire ePayment process. It looks like small money, but ₦50 is something to the merchant, and also to the end user,” Uduje stressed.
Meanwhile, NIBSS data showed the total volumes of PoS transactions for 2017 stood at 146.3 million which was worth N1.4 trillion; 285.9 million transactions in 2018 valued at N2.3 trillion, and 187.7 million for six months- January to June 2019 worth N1.4 trillion.
According to President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola, there should be an urgent stakeholders meeting that will include the CPC, CBN, legislators, civic society, NCC, and Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. Also to attend the meeting are other wider stakeholders – banks, telecom and service providers, and consumers to address the charges being applied by the banks and ratify the best approach to addressing the infrastructural deficit vis-a-vis the cashless policy objectives.
While the Stamp Duty charges controversy rages, some top Nigerian lenders like GTBank and Access Bank, have begun to offer palliativies. GTBank has removed all bank charges for young undergraduates on its GTCRea8 account product. This is specifically for undergraduates between the ages of 16 to 25. GTBank said it will cover all charges on transfers, USSD transactions, and bank alerts for the account holders.
Commenting on the Bank’s removal of charges for young undergraduates, the Executive Officer of GTB, Segun Agbaje, said: “Empowering young people in every way we can is the most valuable investment that we can make for the future. That is why we have taken this bold step to cover the cost of all their banking charges, not just to allow them to bank for free, but also to inspire them to imagine a world free of all limits to their ambitions, and in which they can achieve their greatest dreams.”
Similarly, Access Bank is offering its customers one week free instant transfers (NIP) to any bank. The bank in an advertorial said, “Instant transfers are free for the entire week for all our customers, and you can perform as many transactions as you want, its that simple. All you need to do is use your mobile app, internet banking or dial *426# or *901# for the transfers.”
The development follows the completion of the upgrade of its banking platforms in line with global best practice.
The Guardian
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Federal Government says it is working on how to inject sanity into the social media space which, according to it, is totally out of control today.
Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, Minister of Information and Culture Mr Lai Mohammed said social media at present constituted real danger to the unity of the country.
It would be recalled that an attempt during the first tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari to regulate social media was rebuffed by many Nigerians who argued that the same platform had aided Buhari’s election in 2015.
Meanwhile, in the midst of the raging debate over fake news and misinformation through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others, different stakeholders spoken to yesterday gave different perspectives on the latest move by the government to regulate the cyber space.
“What goes on social media is so ridiculous and we will contain it,” information minister said.
He said since the government launched its reform of the broadcast industry, many Nigerians have reached out to it demanding that it also looked into sanitising the social media space.
“I can assure you that we are also working on how to inject sanity into the social media space which, today is totally out of control,” he stated.
The minister emphasised that contrary to insinuations, the government had no intention of muzzling the media or stifling free speech, saying the campaign was against fake news and hate speech.
He said only those engaged in disseminating fake news or hate speech needed to be worried because they would not be spared.
"We cannot allow fake news and hate speech to become free speech because these Siamese twins of evil are capable of inflicting untold damage on our democracy and are threatening our national unity. They represent a clear and imminent danger to our survival as a nation,” Mohammed said.
He assured that the planned social media regulation would be in line with international best practices as obtainable in Singapore, the United Kingdom and other countries.
“No responsible government will sit by and allow fake news and hate speech to dominate its media space because of the capacity of this menace to exploit our national fault lines to set us against each other and trigger a national conflagration. That is why we will continue to evolve ways to tackle fake news and hate speech until we banish both,” he stated.
Preparing the stage
The minister recalled that following the unprofessional and unethical conduct of some broadcast stations, especially before and during the last general elections, he had constituted a committee on the implementation of the recommendations approved by Mr Buhari to inject sanity into the broadcast industry.
He listed the recommendations to include: “Independence of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from political interference in the exercise of its regulatory powers, particularly with respect to the issuance and withdrawal of broadcasting licence.
Others are: “A review of the National Broadcasting Code and extant broadcasting laws to reflect the following amendments: Upward review of fines from N500,000 to N5,000,000 for breaches relating to hate speeches, inciting comments and indecency; willful repeat of infractions on three occasions after levying fine on a station to attract suspension of licence and upgrade of breach of political comments relating to hate speeches and divisive comments to ‘’Class A’’ offence in the Broadcasting Code.
Also approved, the minister said, were the recommendations on the amendment of NBC Act to enable it license WebTV and radio stations; and recruitment of more monitoring staff for the NBC.
He said at the moment, there are only about 200 staff monitoring about 1,000 radio and television stations nationwide.
Other measures, according to the minister, included deployment of adequate monitoring equipment and technologies for the NBC and enhancement of welfare packages of NBC staff to avoid their compromise in the line of duty.
He said the committee was also saddled with ending all forms of monopoly detrimental to the actualisation of the immense potential of the broadcast industry. “A situation where a few people corner a chunk of the industry to the detriment of others, especially our teeming and talented youths, is totally unacceptable and untenable.
Once the committee submits its report, we will immediately kick-start the implementation of the approved measures to inject sanity into our broadcast industry.
"No amount of attacks sponsored or otherwise will stop the implementation of the approved recommendations. And only non-patriots and anarchists will kick against measures aimed at putting an end to fake news and hate speech, especially in our broadcast industry,” he said.
NUJ, lawyers speak
While Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) backed the move to regulate the social media, lawyers were however divided over the matter. NUJ President Chris Isiguzo said social media regulation was long overdue as activities of its actors “have become something else.”
“When we talk about fake news, dissemination of hate speeches, they are so prevalent in social media. These people don’t have any form of regulation; once you have a smartphone you just begin to send all manner of things,” he said.
However, the Convener of Good Governance Team Nigeria, Tunde Salman, said government had “surreptitiously started regulating the social media as evident in the increasing harassment of bloggers and other social media activists for one flimsy excuse or the other.”
Similarly, Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said the move to regulate the social media only further confirmed that the present government lacked agenda for the welfare of the people.
“Poverty is rising coupled with the spate of insecurity and other challenges that have been compounded by the lack of clear-cut agenda. And they are not concerned with how to fulfil their promises and help the cause of the country.
“What matters to them now is to stifle one of the few avenues for the suffering Nigerians to express their minds, and curtail their rights to fundamental freedom,” Onyekpere said.
Also, Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, Idayat Hassan, alleged that regulating social media “is another move by APC government to clamp down on free speech, dissent and the civic space.”
According to her, “there is no evidence to suggest that regulation, or whatever name they call it, will reduce fake news or hate speech.”
Executive Director, YIAGA-AFRICA, Samson Itodo said it was unfortunate that the government that benefited from social media “is turning around to regulate the same tool citizens have for holding government to account.”
According to him, “fake news and disinformation are a global phenomenon that needs to be addressed. Other nations did not deal with fake news by regulating social media or limiting free speech.”
Hameed Ajibola Jimoh, a human rights activist, said the conformity that the government must envisage is as regards Section 45(1) of the Constitution, which provides for “restriction and or derogation from fundamental human right,” including freedom of speech.
Section 45(1) states that, “Nothing in sections 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 of this Constitution shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society… (a) in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or (b) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom or other persons”.
On his part, Mr Egobuokolobia M.D. Umukoro said: “The government can only restrict members of the security from such use. This is important because once there are restrictions on citizens’ right to freely express themselves there cannot be freedom.”
A pro-democracy activist and former senator, Mr Shehu Sani, said the intended regulation of the social media by the Federal Government might be a veiled attempt to get at critics. Sani said regulating the social media to combat fake news and hate speeches will end up targeting critics of government policies and the opposition.
He said there were enough laws in the country to prosecute defamation, libel and incitement, hence a new law specifically for the social media will only be a new step to emasculate free speech.
Daily Trust
An accident involving two passenger buses which crashed into each other at the early hours of today, Monday, during rush-hour in Nigeria’s commercial capital has landed several Lagosians in the hospital.
The accident occurred at about 7:00 a.m. at Asolo Bus-Stop, near Majidun River, along the busy Ikorodu Road.
“The collision left several passengers injured and the two drivers of the two buses are in critical condition,” a commuter, Tola Oladipupo, said.
According to him “all victims have been taken to a nearby public health facility by Lagos emergency officials.”
It was unclear how many passengers were injured. A telephone line for Lagos emergency services did not connect on Monday morning.
Mr Oladipo said two okada riders plying the restricted bus rapid transit system were to blame for the ghastly crash.
The accident has triggered a long line of traffic jam for residents streaming from Ikorodu and nearby neighbourhoods into downtown Lagos for work.
Emergency and law enforcement authorities have been working to clear the debris and free up traffic flow for stranded road users.
Premium Times
General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Mr E. A. Adeboye, at the Church leaders stakeholders’ summit, themed, ‘RUGA: The church’s response in the 21st century,’ which held at ShepherdHill Baptist Church, in Lagos on Saturday, spoke on the cattle controversy in the country.
Adeboye urged stakeholders at the meeting to listen with anointed ears to his rather proverbial address at the event.
He said he would relay an encounter he had with a close, mathematician friend of his, whom he said advised Christians to reduce or stop the consumption of beef.
He said, “Please, do not quote me, quote my friend. Listen with anointed ears. I have a friend who is a mathematician and he is very funny. My mathematician friend told me a story that a cattle rearer kills your brother and your brother’s blood spilled on the grass and the cow eats from the grass, directly or indirectly, you are also participating in the killing of that your brother.
“Someone cannot be killing your brother and you are eating his cow meat. My friend said if you begin to allow them to rear cow at your backyard, very soon, they will send you out of your house.
“My friend also said that even scientists have said that red meat is not good for our health and we are buying cow meat. Why can’t we eat fish which has been confirmed to be the best for us. My friend said if we stop eating cow meat for a while, the man who sells it will come and renegotiate the terms.”
Punch
An Ogun State High Court of Justice, in Ipokia Judicial Division has declared the seat of Onipokia of Ipokia vacant, saying there is no formal appointment of a recognised Chief for the stool of Onipokia made by the Ipokia Kingmakers and communicated to the appropriate Authorities.
Justice Gboyega Ogunfowora stated this while dismissing a preliminary objection by the Kingmakers of Ipokia Traditional Council of Chiefs, in a trial on the chieftaincy tussle to elect a new Onipokia of Ipokia, in Ogun West area of the State.
The Justice who struck out the objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to adjudicate on the matter, described the preliminary objection as frivolous and unmeritorious.
Claimants in the trial, the Asade-Adekanbi Royal Family, which include Prince Adesola, Prince Adepegba and Princess Akinleye Alaba had taken the Kingmakers of Ipokia Traditional council to court for the wrongful selection of one Yisa Olaniyan by minority voting as against a 1956 declaration and the directive of the State Government in a process to pick the new Onipokia.
The family also claimed that the said Yisa Olaniyan was in no way related to the Iwaye- Dodo ruling House nor a member of the Asade-Adekambi Royal Family and extension whose turn is next to produce the Onipokia.
In a bid, to stall the trial the Kingmakers of Ipokia Traditional Council of Chiefs, led by the 7th Defendant, the Esemo of Ipokia, Chief Fatai Agbeyemi had raised a preliminary objection, on the grounds that the Asade Family in filing the suit, failed to comply with the mandatory requirements of the Chiefs Law of Ogun State describing the action as hasty, premature and incompetent.
The claimants filed a counter affidavit stating that upon the wrong selection process of Yisa Olaniyan as the Onipokia of Ipokia, the Chairman of Ipokia Local Government was prompted to complain through a written document, while there is a letter of the State Government nullifying the selection process. Both letters were tendered as exhibits in the trial.
Justice Gboyega Ogunfowora pointed out that "the pleadings in the case proved that no formal appointment of a recognised Chief had been made by the Kingmakers and communicated to the appropriate authorities".
He said, it would not be in the interests of justice for the claimants to fold their arms and look on, while their perceived rights are being allegedly infringed.
Justice Ogunfowora in his final analysis said "the preliminary objection of the 7th Defendant is dismissed as being frivolous and unmeritorious in the light of the above".