I was suspended as chief after SARS paraded me and my wife in market

 

 

The market chief of Ikire in Irewole Local Government Area, Osun State, Adegboyega Agbaje has told the Panel of Inquiry investigating police brutality and extrajudicial killings that he was suspended for three months after disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officers handcuffed him back.

He said that he was arrested alongside his wife, Mrs. Misitura Agbaje, and was paraded with handcuffs in the market where he was presiding over as a chief.

Explaining, Chief Agbaje, said, “On August 18, 2020, at about 2 PM, five police officers in mufti but was wearing SARS jacket led by one Tosin. They stormed my house and asked if one Tunde Agbaje was my son, that he was involved in a robbery. I was arrested alongside my wife and was handcuffed back. We were taken to Nigerian Police Station in Ikoyi and later to Apomu. We were taken to Osogbo in search of my son. We were handcuffed for about 10 hours before we were released.

“I was suspended as a chief because of the arrest and unwarranted scenario by the Police. It was believed in the community that I had committed a grievous offence which was why I and my wife were handcuffed back. I was reinstated after three months when they see that I am not guilty of the offence the police arrested me for. I have official letters of both the suspension and my reinstatement.”

Chief Agbaje demanded the sum of N10 million over the unlawful arrest with handcuffs which he claimed he had suffered embarrassment, emotional ridicule and untold hardship on his personality as a community leader and a chief.

The Chairman of the Panel, Justice Akin Oladimeji said the counsel for the petitioner should write a final written address and adorned the matter to January 8, 2021.

House burnt, Two abducted by police men in Abia, victim Report to panel

 

By Sunny Nwankwo, Umuahia

An auto mechanic identified as Emeka Obasi Kama has narrated to the Abia Panel on Police Brutality of how his friends, Uchechi Agwu Kalu and Ndubuisi got missing after their encounter with some police officers from the Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Aba.

Speaking at the sitting of the panel led by retired Justice Sunday Imo, Emeka alleged that police officers identified as Edet and Yellow serving at Azuka police station, Ogbor Hill, Aba, at the time of the incident, were responsible for the disappearance of his friends on August 11, 2020.

According to Emeka, he went to Uchechi’s house on the said date and saw two people namely Ifunanya and Ndubuisi and joined them inside the house.

He said after a while, some policemen came inside the house and started beating them without any reason.

“As we were being beaten, Uchechi shouted Edet, I didn’t do anything to you but healed you of a deadly skin disease; “atuere.”

“As Uchechi was shouting, they took me, Ifunanya and Ndubuisi outside, but Uchechi, Edet and two other officers were left in the room.”

Narrating further, Emeka said, “I don’t know what Ndubuisi did, he was shot as we were lying down outside.”

Emeka told the panel that the policemen carried Ndubusi into their mini-bus and sped off.

He said the policemen returned later and took Uchechi away.

“As they were taking Uchechi away, one of the policemen poured fuel on the house and set it ablaze.”

Emeka narrated that since then, the two men had not been seen.

BREAKING: Group Opens up over ‘silent killings’ in the North

 

 

A group has raised alarm over alleged killings in parts of the North which are not being reported by either the regular media or social platforms.

The group, Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) says the killings, which mostly take place around the Northeast and Northwest, go unnoticed because reporters risk the wrath of the killers.

National Chairman of the group, Elliot Afiyo, who stated this at a news briefing in the Adamawa State capital, Yola, said Nigerians, being unaware of such silent killings, live in false sense of security.

He said, “We are very much concerned with the security challenges of insurgency, kidnapping, and banditry in the country, particularly in the Northwest and Northeast.

“We are pained that human beings are being slaughtered like chicken on a daily basis. The massive killings in Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and Kebbi states which are on a daily basis are not reported for fear of being killed by the bandits.”

He accused government of not making enough efforts to address the situation and called for complete overhauling of the security architecture of the country.

Afiyo said his members, whose number he put at 4.8 million around the country, put in a lot of effort in fighting back and preventing EndSARS looters from their targets during the last EndSARS looting.

There will be no more death in Biafra land - Mazi Nnamdi kanu assures Biafrans

There will be no more death in Biafra land - Mazi Nnamdi kanu assures Biafrans, This was announced by him during a live stream video monitored by our team.

He said' "we have come to die for what we believe", he also said that from today onwards the death of every Biafrans will be avenged.

"If you kill us we kill you, because that is the only language the zoo understand"

The leader of Indigenous People Of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi kanu has officially made this known on a new security outfit, "THE EASTERN SECURITY NETWORK" for people of the defunct Biafra republic

He made this known on Saturday 12th, December 2020 on a live stream video

“From today onwards the death of every Biafran will be avenged. If you kill us we are going to kill you”

Mrs Aisha Buhari urges women to continue to aspire to greatness in spite of difficulties

 

The First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has urged Nigerian women to continue to aspire to greatness “in spite of global economic difficulties”.

Mrs. Buhari spoke at the Happy Conference 2020 organised by Aspire Women Forum, an NGO, on Saturday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference was: “A Woman; My Purpose”.

Represented by Mrs. Hajo Sani, the First Lady called on women to continually be their sister’s keepers by encouraging other women in their various endeavours instead of bringing them down.

She said that only women were responsible for lifting themselves up when brought down by life’s challenges.

“Women are the only ones who can make themselves happy irrespective of our challenges; we must encourage each other to be happy, be each other’s mentors and remain role models to young girls.

“We look forward to having more women in all the professional fields, especially politics. That is the only route through which a woman president can finally emerge in this country.”

She also urged young girls to work hard and concentrate on their studies so as to excel in all endeavours.

“Aside from working hard, young girls must speak out when being molested either at home or in schools,” she said.

She congratulated organisers of the event, saying that the forum was timely as it tended to encourage women to stand tall and speak out against gender violence and other global issues.

Also speaking, Mrs. Khadija Bukar, member, House of Representatives, said that the conference was apt as it intended to put a smile on the faces of women who might be struggling in the midst of happenings in the country.

She said that the National Assembly was working to ensure that women were well represented politically.

“We are hoping that the constitutional review that is ongoing will include 25 percent affirmative action for women in both elective and appointive positions so as to encourage more women participation in all activities,” she said.

 

The President of the forum, Mrs. Zainab Marwa, in a remark, said that the conference was targeted at encouraging women to remain positive in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic and gender violence issues.

According to her, 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone and some may have lost so much in the situation.

She said: “I just wanted to bring these women together to remind us that it doesn’t take much to make ourselves happy as long as we carry each other along.

“I wanted it to be an inter-generational dialogue that is why I brought in girls from our Aspire Girls Force from Garki Secondary School, Abuja as well as prominent female figures in the country.

“The take-home is that we know we can surmount anything that comes our way; we should also know that we can overcome any challenge that may stand in our way, especially if we are able to find our purpose in life.

“We must come together and unite our energies toward finding happiness in order to achieve our goals.”

She explained that the Happy Conference 2020 was created to foster dialogue among women of all ages as encouraged by the Beijing Platform for Action.

“The platform is where the older generation will share their financial, emotional, and spiritual route to discovering their purpose, with the younger participants,” she said.

NAN also reports that the annual Aspire Woman Magazine was launched at the event.

 

Lekki shootings: CNN Warns Lagos Panel, says it has been excused

Cable News Network (CNN), Inc. has declined to make its team of reporters available to the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution of Victims of SARS Related Abuses and the Lekki Toll Gate shootings.

....It's not true, we never excused CNN, says Panel

It objected to a Witness Summons by the panel requiring the reporters to appear before it Saturday, December 12, 2020, to give evidence on their reportage of the #EndSARS Lekki shooting.

 

The law firm representing the United States-based international news outfit in Nigeria, Messrs. Olumide Babalola LP, yesterday said the Tribunal lacks jurisdiction to summon CNN staff since they were not in Nigeria.

According to Mr. Babalola, he had written to, and the panel had taken note of the grounds of CNN’s objection and excused the company from complying with the summons.

 

But the panel told The Nation that it never excluded CNN from appearing before it and that the summons was still valid and pending.

On November 19, the media organisation published an investigation alleging that the Nigerian Army used live bullets on protesters during its intervention in the #EndSARS protest at Lekki in Lagos State.

Responding to the publication, the Federal Government and the army tagged the investigation as fake news, threatening to sanction the broadcaster for “irresponsible reporting.”

On November 23, in a letter addressed to CNN’s VP Communications Jonathan Hawkins, Minister of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed, said the report did not just fall short of journalistic standards but reinforced the disinformation making the rounds on the issue.

CNN issued a statement saying it stood by its report.

The network on November 14, did a second report with more footage, which it said showed soldiers shooting at unarmed protesters on October 20, 2020.

 

The CNN report was referenced at the panel by the Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, during his defence of the army’s conduct at Lekki on October 20.

 

Taiwo contrasted CNN’s report with an opposing one by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and declared the former as false.

The CNN report was also referenced by #EndSARS protesters’ counsel Mr. Adesina Ogunlana in the course of the panel’s proceedings, necessitating the tribunal to summon the producers of the report.

In a statement yesterday, Babalola said the panel summoned CNN and its reporters on November 28 “to give evidence on their reportage of the EndSARS Lekki shooting.”

He said: “Upon service of the summons on CNN’s Lawyers, Messrs. Olumide Babalola LP, the international news outfit instructed their lawyers to file an objection on the ground that the Panel lacks jurisdiction to summon them since they are not in Nigeria.”

The objection dated 4th December 2020, was filed at the tribunal on December 9, 2020.

Babalola said: “The Objectors herewith place it on record that they were not at all material times and still not at the time of filing this objection, within the geographical territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“They do not have any physical or business presence in Nigeria and, by extension, are outside the territorial jurisdiction of this honourable Tribunal.

“The Objectors respectfully observed that the Summons to Witness dated 28 November 2020 was issued pursuant to the Tribunal’s powers donated by Section 5(c) of Tribunals Of Inquiry Law Of Lagos State.”

The section states: “Subject to the provisions of this Law, a Tribunal shall have the following powers – ‘5(c) to summon any person in Nigeria to attend any meeting of the Tribunal to give evidence or produce any document or other thing in his possession, subject to all just exceptions. summonses issued under this paragraph may be in Form A in the schedule to this Law and shall be served by the Police or by such person as the Tribunal may direct. (Emphasis ours)”

The lawyer contended that this meant neither CNN nor its reporters were subject to the panel’s jurisdiction.

 

Babalola said: “Flowing from the above authorities, we submit that since the Objectors are not ‘persons in Nigeria’ as envisaged by the provision of section 5(c), then this honourable Tribunal is, with respect, bereft of territorial jurisdiction to compel their attendance to give evidence before it.

“We rely on the decision in Joshua Dariye v Federal Republic of Nigeria (2015) LPELR-24398(SC), where the Supreme Court of Nigeria held that: ‘Territorial jurisdiction implies a geographical area within which the authority of the Court may be exercised and outside which the Court has no power to act. Jurisdiction, territorial or otherwise, is statutory and is conferred on the Court by the law creating it. Territorial jurisdiction may mean jurisdiction that a court may exercise over persons residing or carrying on business within a defined area, or in respect of a contract where its terms bring it within the area.”

The lawyer urged the panel to withdraw the summons issued on his clients and to instead, watch the CNN report on the Lekki shootings.

He said, “The objectors respectfully refer the tribunal to the link for the published version of the story as reported on their website, ‘How a bloody night of bullets quashed a young protest movement’ to aid the tribunal’s fact-finding mission.

Babalola claimed that when the Panel sat on Saturday, December 12, 2020, it invited him “into the Private Hearing Room” where he reiterated his objection and the Panel informed him that they would record the objection in their final report, “hence CNN was excused from further proceedings or appearing before the Panel.”

But the Tribunal’s secretary, Mr. Babajide Boye narrated a different version of events.

He confirmed that the panel summoned CNN to appear and that the network declined via a letter on the ground among others that it didn’t have an office in the country.

Boye said Babalola visited the panel yesterday to confirm, among others, that the letter emanated from his office.

The lawyer, he added, requested to speak with panel members and was told that his letter was well understood and would be taken care of in the report.

CNN, he explained, was not exempted from appearance.

Boye said: “No, CNN was never excused. In fact, the summons is still open if they want to come. They are the ones that refused to come.

They were not excused. It will be on record that the summons was sent to them and they refused to honour the summons. They are free to come. The summons is still open until it is honoured.”

BREAKING: Tinubu reacts over the death of Nda-Isaiah, Publisher of Leadership Newspaper

Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has reacted to the death of Sam Nda-Isaiah, Publisher of Leadership Newspaper.

Tinubu described Nda-Isaiah as a courageous and conscientious journalist and columnist.

Nda-Isaiah had died yesterday after a brief illness.

However, the APC National Leader said Nda-Isaiah’s death was a blow to the journalism world.

The former Lagos State governor stated this in a statement by his spokesman, Tunde Rahman.

The statement reads: “I’m deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the death of Leadership Newspaper publisher, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah.

“He was a friend and associate. We had a built cordial relationship between us long before we founded the APC together with others and before he contested for the presidential ticket at the primaries of our party in 2014.

“As a journalist and columnist, he was bold, courageous, and conscientious. A pharmacist, he made an audacious move when he founded the Leadership newspaper in 2001.

“Nda-Isaiah was not only a newspaper publisher, he was also an entrepreneur with varied business interests.

“His death is a blow to the journalism profession, which he served with all his heart. Perhaps, his last major appearance was last Tuesday’s Annual General Meeting of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria held in Lagos. My condolences to the NPAN. I commiserate with the management and staff of Leadership newspaper.

“I mourn in particular with his wife, children, and relations. May Almighty Allah comfort them and give them the strength to cope with this sudden death of their patriarch. I also extend my condolences to Etsu Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, the government and people of Niger State for the loss of their illustrious son. I pray that the soul of our friend, Nda-Isaiah, find eternal rest.”