There is heavy security presence at the secretariat of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun ahead of the party’s primary election today (Saturday).

The security presence may not be unconnected to the clashes that have been recorded in parts of the state over leadership crisis.

There are currently two factions of the APC in Osun — the Ilerioluwa Group is the faction loyal to Gboyega Oyetola, the governor, while The Osun Progressives (TOP) has the backing of Rauf Aregbesola, minister of interior and former governor of the state.

Both factions have been at loggerheads over control of the state chapter of the party.

On Monday, Aregbesola expressed his support for the governorship bid of Moshood Adeoti, a former secretary to the state government (SSG), while Oyetola is seeking reelection.

The Osun governorship election is scheduled to hold on July 16, 2022.

The Cable

 

Some 17 people died after a fuel tanker and commuter bus collided in Ogun state on Friday, the Federal Road Safety Corps said.

Spokesperson Bisi Kazeem said the crash happened around 5:00 a.m. on Friday and that the number of fatalities may vary.

"There was a head-on collision that resulted in fire," Kazeem told Reuters. "Efforts are ongoing to remove the charred bodies as well as the crashed vehicles."

Nigeria is facing fuel shortages caused by imports of sub-standard petrol. This has angered motorists, who have been spending hours in lines to fill their tanks while some public transport owners have taken advantage to hike fares.

State oil firm NNPC said this week that over 2.3 billion litres of petrol is scheduled for delivery by the end of the month as it struggles to solve the shortages.

Congested roads in Africa's most populous nation are poorly maintained, and riven with gullies and potholes large enough to swallow cars. Accidents are frequent, particularly at night with vehicles poorly-lit, although the death toll is rarely so high.

Reuters

 

 

Interior Minister and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, was in Osun State on Monday to meet his supporters in respect of the governorship election.

Below is the excerpt of his speech:

“I’m happy that we sent for you all and you honoured our invitation. Those we specifically asked to be invited here are party leaders from the ward level to the state. They are the critical stakeholders and I’m certain they are the ones here.

“Although some, who are not with us would be here also – the informants to the other camps. But we’re no longer afraid of no one at this stage except God. You’re at liberty to listen to whatever we say here and go to share with them over there. And I’m happy you’re here.

“However, if we have to throw the cards open and start all over again, this party is ours. Let me repeat myself for clarity: this is the core Afenifere – a progressive group, that genuinely loves the people, the society and also loves itself. I’m not talking about cosmestised good. This is Awolowo’s group; it is Bola Ige’s group. It is also Baba Akande’s group, before he partly left us.

“We joined you in this same group in 2004; the group we laboured in pain and anguish to put together from 2004 to 2010, November 26, before court gave us victory. This is the same group. Therefore, stop calling yourselves a faction; you are the main APC. Let me put it more succinctly, if our great leaders, who had passed on, had the opportunity of returning to this life, it is this same party they would join. They would not join a party that is not theirs.

“It would be almost impossible for Bola Ige to return to this same life and refuse to be part of this party. It would be very difficult. It would be impossible for Papa Awolowo too to come back to life and elect to join another party in Osun other than ours. It would be difficult. And those of us who are still living are also here in this same party.

“There’s no latter-day member here. Everyone here started with us from day one. Even if some had left at some point, we knew why they left. There’s no one here, who did not suffer with us. That’s the summary of my submission; that they have returned to where they’ve always belonged, and to also return the party to where it should be, because we had hitherto followed the instructions of our leader, whom we thought was true to type.

“We followed and served this leader with all our might. In fact, our loyalty to him had caused some people to start wondering if we were no longer Muslims. But we were with him and served him according to the admonition of our forefathers, who said when serving anyone, we should do so with sincerity and loyalty; that if you regard anyone as your principal, you must serve him wholeheartedly.

“Sadly, we didn’t know that while we wished him well, he didn’t think good of us. However, because we placed him higher than where he ordinarily should be, he started to think he is our god. Unfortunately, for him, we had sworn to God that whoever compares himself to Him, we’d beg Him to bring down such a fellow.

“God says he does not have a rival, and if you heard what I said in Arabic, God said, ‘He is God and he didn’t have to start procreating before He’ll assume His place as God; that only humans procreate. You are the ones, who attach importance to procreation.

“As God, He doesn’t need a child to dwell in his glory. He does not need any family member or younger siblings to regale in His majesty. That He does not even need a group to be who He is. That He is God and that’s who He is. So, whoever puts himself in place of God, well, let him be his own god.

“With suffering, pains and perseverance, we nurtured this party to the stage it is – with sweat, tears, blood and even lost lives. It is by God’s grace that someone like me didn’t pay the supreme price too. May those who lost their lives to the struggle find peace with the Lord. (He mentioned names of some of those who died). As tough as it was, we did not seek revenge.

“We took over government on November 27, 2010 and by 28th, we announced that whoever sought revenge would be struck down by God. We only handed over to God, those who made us suffer. After we served for eight years, it wasn’t only party members that benefitted from our administration, the entire state did. I went everywhere in Osun with projects.

“However, by the time my successor was handed over to me around July or May 2018, I was told, ‘Rauf, this is the ideal successor that would stand by you. He would further showcase your efforts. He would not betray you; he would not dim the light of your glory’. That was what the person, who handed him over to me said. If the person is listening to me, it would resonate with him, if he said so or not.

“But, did he do as he was vouched for? And when he reneged on these promises, did the person, who handed him over to me draw his attention to these failings? Anyway, isn’t the person the one we now see today?

“Meanwhile, we are here at this station on three grounds and if we go about it honestly, we’d never regret this. First is, God detests hypocrisy. That He is above all things, but hypocrisy, he’d never go close to. However, our prophet, Mohammed (SWA), said: ‘Assist the hypocrite and the victim of hypocrisy.

“But when asked to clarify the logic behind such a statement, he answered and said, ‘Listen, it is possible for a hypocrite not to know he is one. However, those of you around should endeavour to join forces with the victim of hypocrisy to prevail over the hypocrite and that way, you would have assisted the hypocrite to change his ways. That’s the first reason we are here and once we can do that, we’d be good to go and they would be the loser. It’s God’s commandment.

“Second, we are the ones looking after the people in every way possible. However, those we put into position of authority to drive the project of caring for the people, have since abdicated this responsibility and we would never share space with such fellows. God says whoever is against the needy is His enemy. To that extent, we have to move away from these people, because we can’t because of our association with them offend God. If we stick to this, we’d prevail.

“The third reason is, the things we did that the people wanted, which unfortunately, this man has turned away from and which formed the pride of our government, and which has been the thrust of our party since the days of Awolowo, we would not sit by and watch a fellow, who had no clue about this task, to destroy our efforts.

“We will never assist such a fellow. In a worst case scenario, we’d move away from them. Interestingly, in every group, everyone has a right to their choices. But in making those choices, you must be sure a majority of the members align with you.

“It is possible some share your ideals and it’s also possible some do not. This happened in Lagos recently. There was a governor, who wanted to seek re-election and the party declined and showed him the way out with their votes. So, the same way it was in Lagos then, is exactly the way it is in Osun today. What is good for the goose, is also good for the gander. It cannot be the turn of your younger brother now and you change the rules.”

 

 

The price of a 50kg bag of locally produced rice rose by about 92 per cent between January 2016 and December 2021 despite the various measures taken by the Federal Government to drive down the cost of the staple, findings have shown.

A survey of markets across Abuja and Lagos states reveals that the current average cost of a 50kg bag of rice is N25,000, against N13,000, the price in 2016.

This means that within a six-year period, the price of rice rose by about N12,000 or 92.3 per cent.

This increase came amid interventions of the government through the apex monetary authority, Central Bank of Nigeria, to crash the price of rice in the country.

The most recent intervention of CBN was the unveiling of 13 mega rice pyramids in Abuja, purportedly containing over one million bags of rice paddy bags.

While unveiling the pyramids, President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that the bags of paddy, when processed and supplied to markets, would drive down the price of the rice.

“I am aware that the bags of paddy will be moving straight from here to rice milling plants across Nigeria, which leads to the release of processed rice to the markets by the rice millers. The measure will aid our efforts at reducing the price of rice in Nigeria,” Buhari had said.

The pyramids assembled in Abuja are a part of the CBN’s rice revolution scheme ushered in by its Anchor Borrower’s Programme.

ABP is an elaborate low-interest loan scheme launched in November 2015 by the President through the CBN.

Under the programme, concessionary loans with a five per cent interest rate are disbursed through Deposit Money Banks, development finance institutions, and microfinance banks to farmers.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, had last week announced that the interest rate on the loans which were expected to revert to nine per cent by March this year, would remain at five per cent for another year, ending March 1, 2023.

According to CBN, the broad objective of the programme is to create economic linkage between smallholders and reputable large-scale processors with a view to increasing agricultural output and significantly improving capacity utilisation of agricultural firms.

Categories of farmers captured under this programme include those cultivating cereals such as rice, wheat and maize, cotton, roots and tubers, sugarcane, tree crops, legumes, tomato and livestock.

As of February 2022, the apex bank had disbursed a total of N984bn to over 4,400 smallholder farmers across the country, the CBN’s chief revealed last week.

Since its introduction, CBN has released and modified guidelines to the ABP to ensure its effective implementation.

Additionally, in 2015, CBN stopped the importers of rice and other 41 items from accessing foreign exchange in the official window, in order to encourage local production.

It also banned rice imports across land borders and kept 70 per cent tariffs on imports coming through ports.

While these interventions may have increased local production, the price of rice appears to be unaffected.

Emefiele said during the launch of the rice pyramids that rice production rose to nine million metric tons as of the end of 2021 from about 5.4m MT recorded in 2015.

A feat, he attributed to the implementation of the ABP by the government.

Reacting to the development, stakeholders in the agriculture sector linked the surge in the price of rice during the review period to shortage of supply to markets.

President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Kabir Kebram, attributed the low supply to insecurity in food-producing states, dwindling value of the naira, as well as the poor implementation of the ABP.

Kebram argued that the approach chosen by the CBN to disburse loans under the programme might be counterproductive as it greatly increased the chances of mismanagement and abuse of funds.

He said, “Well, there are many reasons for this, the principal reason being that there is inadequacy of supply. Also, the purchasing power of the naira has dwindled and this has affected the cost of almost all the products and produce we buy today.

“There is general food inflation as well as other inflation, even the World Bank has said that Nigeria has to do a lot to curb the inflation, because it is destabilising the economy.

“And the low supply is also dependent on many things such as insecurity which is preventing our farmers from going to their farms. We also have the Anchor’s Borrowers Programme of the CBN.

“If you are putting in a lot of money in the hands of people to produce items and you are doing it using due diligence, you are likely to cause some imbalance in the market and the psyche of the people. The reality is when there is so much money in circulation, abuse is possible or mismanagement.”

To drive down the cost of the staple, the AFARN president advised CBN to swiftly release the paddy bags assembled as pyramids in Abuja to millers for immediate processing, stating that this would increase supply.

Punch

 

 

Nigeria’s internet users dipped by 7.99 percent to 141.9 million — as telecoms operators lost 12.3 million data subscribers in 2021.

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said this in its telecoms data released on Monday.

TheCable had reported how restrictions on sales of SIM cards stifled the telecoms sector in 2021 — coupled with the ongoing national identification number (NIN) and SIM integration exercise.

In 2020, the federal government directed Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to audit the subscriber registration database.

The directive instructed mobile network operators to suspend the sale, registration and activation of new SIM cards.

The controversial policy denied new entrants into the country access to purchase mobile lines while existing users who want to retrieve their lost lines were not allowed access.

It was lifted in April.

According to NBS, a total of 141,971,560 subscribers were active on the internet in the fourth quarter of 2021, as against 154,301,195 in the same period of 2020, representing a 7.99 percent decrease in internet subscriptions year-on-year.

“In Q4 2021, a total of 195,463,898 subscribers were active on voice as against 204,601,313 in Q4 2020. This represents a 4.47 percent decrease in voice subscriptions Year-on-Year. Quarter-on-Quarter growth was 2.42 percent,” the report reads.

“A total of 141,971,560 subscribers were active on the internet as against 154,301,195 in Q4 2020. This represents a 7.99 percent decrease in internet subscriptions Year-on-Year.

“Lagos State had the highest number of subscribers in terms of active voice per state in Q4 2021, followed by Kano State and Ogun State, while Bayelsa and Ebonyi states had the least number of subscribers. However, MTN had the highest share of subscriptions in Q2, Q3, and Q4 2021.”

Checks by TheCable Index showed that internet subscribers in the state dipped by 1.23 million in one year.  

In Katsina and Kano states, subscribers also dipped by 1.21 million and 1.15 million year-on-year, respectively. Zamfara (888,817), Sokoto (676,259) and Ogun state (574,727) also recorded declines.

Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, had said the internet subscribers that deserted the telcos within one year are mostly criminals.

“The over 12 million that have dropped are mostly criminals that cannot come out to regularise their numbers,” the minister had said.

 

The Cable

 

 

Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Abba Kyari and four other police officers have been arrested by the Nigerian Police for allegations of tampering with narcotic exhibits, official corruption and sundry unprofessional infractions. 

This was disclosed in a statement received by Nigerian Newstrack, indicting officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA and issued by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

The concerned officers include the suspended Head of the Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari who was earlier declared wanted by the NDLEA over alleged drug links, ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, ASP John Umoru (at large), Inspr. Simon Agrigba and John Nuhu.

According to the statement, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba has ordered the immediate transfer of the Case to NDLEA, charging the agency to Investigate indicted officers.

The statement reads that, "the Nigeria Police Force has arrested DCP Abba Kyari and four other police officers for their involvement in an alleged case of criminal conspiracy, discreditable, unethical, and unprofessional conduct, official corruption and tampering with exhibits in a case of illicit drug trafficking involving a perpetual transnational drug cartel. The arrest of the officers was sequel to pieces of information received from the leadership of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on 10th February, 2022."

"In line with standard administrative procedure of the Force, the Inspector General of Police ordered a high-level, discreet, and in-house investigation into the allegations. The interim investigations report revealed that two (2) international drug couriers identified as Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus, both males, were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu on the 19th of January, 2022 upon their arrival from Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET917. The arrest led to the recovery of substantial quantity of powdery substance suspected to be cocaine from the two narcotic couriers. The operation which was intelligence-driven, was undertaken by a Unit of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT)."

"Although the case and the two suspects were subsequently transferred to the NDLEA on the 25th January, 2022, the findings of the in-house investigation ordered by the Inspector General of Police established reasonable grounds for strong suspicion that the IRT officers involved in the operation could have been involved in some underhand and unprofessional dealings as well as official corruption which compromised ethical standards in their dealings with the suspects and exhibits recovered."

"Beyond this, the Police investigation also established that the international narcotics cartel involved in this case have strong ties with some officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu who are on their payrol. The two arrested drug couriers confirmed that the modus is for the transnational drug barons to conspire with the NDLEA officers on duty and send them their pre-boarding photographs for identification, seamless clearance, and unhindered passage out of the airport with the narcotics being trafficked."

The Nigerian Newstrack in the statement gathered that "the two arrested drug couriers also confirmed that they have been enjoying this relationship with the NDLEA officers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport since 2021 and had in this instant case of 19th January, 2022, been identified and cleared by the NDLEA officers as customary, having received their pre-departure photographs and other details prior to their arrival in Enugu, and were on their way out with the narcotics when they were apprehended by the Police."

"The Police investigations report also indicted DCP Abba Kyari, who had been on suspension for his alleged involvement in a different fraud case being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), for complicity in the allegation of official corruption, tampering with narcotics exhibit and sundry unprofessional conducts that negate the standard administrative and investigative protocols of the Force as well as extant criminal laws. It is to be emphasised that DCP Abba Kyari’s involvement in these allegation occurred while his suspension from service was subsisting."

"On the strength of the findings of the in-house Police Investigation Panel, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered the immediate arrest and transfer of all the indicted police officers to the NDLEA authorities for conclusive investigation, while appropriate disciplinary actions are also being initiated against them by the Force leadership. They have all been, accordingly, handed over today 14th February, 2022 to the NDLEA authorities."

"In so doing, the Inspector General of Police has also formally requested that the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency should ensure the identification, arrest and investigation of the Agency’s officers who have also been found to be colluding with the international drug cartel involved in this case towards advancing the anti-narcotics agenda of the federal Government."

"The Inspector General of Police assures the public of his administration’s commitment to upholding the tenets and values of policing in line with the agenda of ethical regeneration, restoration of professional standard, enhancement of the anti-corruption drive, respect for the rule of law and inter-agency collaboration in the drive to stabilise the internal security order of the country."

 

 

A commercial motorcyclist, identified as Ashimiu Lawal has been shot dead along Leme area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The deceased, was found dead in a pool of his blood without his motorcycle.

It was gathered that Lawal was shot by some unknown persons, as his body was discovered at the early hours of Sunday.

According to information gathered, a  relative of the deceased, Akintunde Sanni, who confirmed the incident, said the deceased went out to work when he was attacked by his assailants.

Sanni explained that somebody who could identify the deceased, had broken the news to him. 

He added that the police had evacuated the corpse on Sunday morning.

“Somebody who knows Ashimiu ran to my house this morning to inform me of the incident. He was shot and his okada was taken away by his killers. We don’t know how or when it happened, but we discovered the body this morning. It is a painful thing. Our brother’s body has been deposited at the morgue by a patrol team of the police,” Sanni said.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, saying, “It was a case of armed robbery.”

Oyeyemi added that “the police have commenced investigation to unravel those behind his death.”

Daily post

 

Barely few weeks when 4 teenagers were arrested burning human head, a 43-year-old Kehinde Oladimeji and his wife, Adejumoke Raji (35 years) have been arrested by the Ogun State police command for being in possession of fresh human parts in Abeokuta.

The couple, who are residents of 72, MKO Abiola way Leme Abeokuta, were arrested on Saturday after a report was lodged at Kemta Police station.

The Baale of Leme community, Chief Moshood Ogunwolu, had reported to the police that one Pastor Adisa Olanrewaju, who is a co-tenant with the couple, informed him of offensive odour oozing out of his neighbour’s room.

Acting on the complaint, the DPO of Kemta division, CSP Adeniyi Adekunle, was said to have led his detectives to the scene.

On searching the room, a plastic bowl containing fresh different parts of human being was discovered in the room, and the couple were promptly arrested, the Ogun State police image maker, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said on Saturday.

“On interrogation, the suspects confessed they were herbalists and that the human parts comprising of hands, breasts and other parts were given to them by one Michael who they claimed resided in Adatan area of Abeokuta. All efforts to locate the said Michael proved abortive as the suspects could not locate his house,” Oyeyemi stated.

He explained that a dismembered body of an unknown person was discovered last week around Leme area of Abeokuta.

However, Oyeyemi explained that it could not confirm yet whether or not the parts is that of the found body.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the homicide section, vowing that anyone who is directly or indirectly involved in the crime would be brought to book.

Recently, three teenagers were arrested for beheading and burning the head of a girl for money ritual.

 

There was pandemonium in the Enugu State capital on Thursday as gunmen attacked a police checkpoint and killed three policemen.

The hoodlums were also said to have shot a point-of-sale operator in the leg.

While making away with the operator’s money, they reportedly abducted a woman around the area.

The incident, which happened around 1.20pm at a police checkpoint near Ulumalinda Estate, Maryland, in the Enugu South Local Government Area of the state, paralyzed economic activities in the state capital.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the hoodlums operated for close to 30 minutes without a challenge despite multiple police and military checkpoints around the state capital.

He said, “The hoodlums shot for nearly 30 minutes. About five poles away from the checkpoint they attacked was another police checkpoint. But immediately the shooting started, the policemen fled.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the incident.

He said, “Details are sketchy, but a manhunt has been launched for the attackers.”

 

Punch

 

Two policemen and a civilian have been confirmed dead after armed robbers attacked a bullion van conveying money from a bank on Iwo Road to the Idi Ape area of Ibadan, Oyo State.

It was gathered that one of the hoodlums was also killed during a shootout with the police.

The incident happened around 1.35pm on Thursday in the Idi Ape area, where the robbers reportedly waylaid the bullion van.

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the bullion van was heading towards the Gate area of Ibadan when the armed hoodlums, who were in a Toyota Sienna, overtook the van and opened fire on the occupants and the police escorts.

One of the victims reportedly killed was an Okada rider who was oblivious of the mission of the occupants of the Sienna.

The commercial motorcyclist, who was said to be in a hurry, reportedly attempted to overtake the hoodlums’ vehicle when he was shot dead by the robbers.

But some residents also said the escorts engaged the robbers in a shootout, adding that the hoodlums outnumbered the operatives and killed two of them.

Some motorists, who were unlucky to be at the scene, reportedly sustained gunshot injuries.

A man, who was driven in a sport utility vehicle, was said to have been hit by a bullet in the upper arm and was rushed to a hospital after the robbers left.

A resident, who identified himself as Waheed Adegoke, said the robbers carted away huge sums of money from the bullion van.

He said, “The armed robbers attacked a bullion van conveying money from a bank to another one at Idi Ape. It happened at a junction close to the traffic light.

“Some lives were lost, including innocent persons. I saw two policemen on the ground after the armed robbers left. Two of them died and one was seriously wounded. Some persons were also injured in their vehicles and those who managed to escape from their vehicles hid inside the drainage.

“There was blood everywhere and people were weeping, as residents trooped out to rush the victims to hospitals.”

Another resident, who refused to disclose his name, told our correspondent that the incident caused the road to be deserted, as motorists and motorcyclists fled the area.

He said, “I was coming from the Gate area when the incident happened. I had to hide somewhere safe until the shooting was over. Some of us moved to the scene to rescue the victims and some who were still in their vehicles were asked to be driven to hospitals for treatment.

“There were spent bullets on the road and persons were killed. I saw two policemen on the ground shot and they had apparently died.”

He added that some policemen from the area command at Testing Ground, Iwo Road, about one kilometre from the scene, later arrived.

Some videos obtained by our correspondent showed vehicles that were shot with shattered windscreens; there were bullets and blood on the road.

Some injured victims were also seen, including two policemen who were later picked by sympathisers and taken to a hospital.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, while speaking to journalists after the incident, described the attack as a coordinated one.

Later, the CP, in a statement made available to our correspondent, confirmed that three persons, including two policemen, were killed.

Onadeko said, “Today, Thursday, February 10, 2022, around 1.45pm, a group of masked armed robbers about 10 in number, trailed, targeted and attacked a bullion van around the traffic light area, Idi-Ape Junction, Agodi, Ibadan.

“The armed robbers engaged the police officers escorting the bullion van and in the process, an undisclosed amount of money was carted away.

“In a swift response, the police equally neutralised one of the armed robbers, while some were believed to have escaped with multiple gunshot injuries.

“Consequently, a civilian onlooker was hit by a stray bullet and died at the scene, while two police officers later died in the hospital as a result of gunshot injuries. Four others, including two police officers, are responding to treatment.

“The citizenry are hereby enjoined not to panic as efforts are in top gear to track down and apprehend the criminal gang.”

 

Punch