Editor-in-chief of CrossRiverWatch, an online media platform, Agba Jalingo, has been reportedly arrested by the Cross River State Police Command on Friday, over an alleged fake petition which described him as a drug dealer.
According to a report, Jalingo was invited by the Cross River Commissioner of Police Kayode Sikiru for a meeting over a planned June 12 protest. He attended the meeting with CrossRiverWatch News Editor Johnathan Ugbal.
They were urged to ensure that the protest was peaceful as the command would not idly watch its degeneration into a riot.
After the meeting, Jalingo and Ugbal were ushered into the State Intelligence Bureau office by the officer in charge of intelligence Cajetan Onwusor, where they were profiled and their photographs and biometrics, captured.
After waiting for over an hour, an unnamed official of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID) invited the duo and the officer in charge of the Human Rights Unit Simeon Nwaguru into his office.
He handed a two-page document to Nwaguru, who read it and passed it on to Jalingo. The document turned out to be a petition by people who described themselves as concerned Cross Riverians.
Efforts by The ICIR to contact the Cross Rivers State Police Command yielded no results as the Spokesperson of the Command Irene Ugbo did not respond to calls or text messages.
Jalingo is presently facing trial for alleged acts of terrorism and attempts to overthrow the Cross River State government, over an article he wrote in 2019 concerning the disappearance of N500 million approved for the floating of the Cross River State Microfinance Bank.
DIFFERENT commands of the Nigerian Police Force have reacted to the planned protest against bad governance, which is slated to hold in various parts of the country on Saturday, June 12.
The ICIR had reported that Nigerians were set to hold a nationwide protest on Saturday to express their grievances against bad governance in the country.
The planned protest was fueled by misgivings over rising insecurity across Nigeria, biting economic challenges as well as attempts by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to stifle freedom of expression through regulation of the social media.
Delta State Police Command said it would not tolerate any protest in the state on Saturday.
The command said this in a statement released on Friday by the Acting Delta Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Bright Edafe.
The statement said the State Commissioner of Police Ari Ali had warned residents against staging the protest.
According to Ali, the protest was being organised by ‘criminally minded individuals’ who were hiding under the guise of peaceful protest to cause havoc in the state.
“Members of the public particularly residents of Delta State are to be aware that on no account should any group be seen gathering or carrying placards in the name of protest, as such will not be allowed in the state,” the statement read in part.
The Delta State police spokesman noted that officers of the command had been placed on red alert to ‘arrest and deal decisively with any criminally minded elements’ who wished to go against the order.
The statement added that undercover police detectives had been deployed across the state to arrest any person or persons staging any form of protest.
Although the Nigerian Constitution provides Nigerians with the right to peaceful assembly, the police insist that the protest should not hold in the state.
Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria reads: “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests:
“Provided that the provisions of this section shall not derogate from the powers conferred by this Constitution on the Independent National Electoral Commission with respect to political parties to which that Commission does not accord.”
During a telephone conversation with The ICIR, FCT PPRO Mariam Yusuf said the police would ensure that the rights of Nigerians were not trampled upon during the June 12 celebration.
When asked about the protest, Yusuf said the police had always ensured that citizens exercised their rights in a manner that would not lead to the breakdown of law and order.
In Ondo state, the police command said it would not allow a repeat of the #EndSARS protest in the state, adding that it was ready to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The Command’s PPRO Tee Leo-Ikoro said the police were aware that some students had planned to embark on a peaceful protest. However he warned that anyone who intended to cause a breakdown of law and order should have a rethink.
“We are fully on ground and we have deployed our men in all the nooks and crannies of the state to maintain law and order. Any violator will be severely dealt with in accordance with the law.
“We will not fold our arms and watch any protest, under whatever guise, to escalate to the level of the last #EndSARS protest. We will arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable,” Leo-Ikoro said.
Efforts to speak with the Force Public Relations Officer Frank Mba proved abortive as he did not respond to calls and text messages from The ICIR.
The Lagos Command PPRO Muyiwa Adejobi also did not respond to calls and text messages concerning the protest.
FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday, said that Nigerians would start witnessing positive actions and changes amid tensions in various parts of the country.
The former president said this after his closed-door meeting with former Nigerian leaders and elder statesmen in Abuja.
Obasanjo, who addressed journalists at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, noted that a communiqué was not issued at the end of the meeting because the statesmen would be long on action and short on statement.
He said that the outcome of the meeting would soon be communicated to President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The outcome of our meeting and our request will be made available to the president whenever he is ready to receive us.”
Obasanjo had, on Thursday, convened a meeting with former Head of State Abubakar Abdul-Salam, traditional leaders and other influential leaders in the country.
The ICIR gathered that the leaders had deliberated on issues bordering on Nigeria’s economy, threats to the country’s unity, high rate of unemployment, corruption and development issues.
Obasanjo had stated that those who could not be physically present at the meeting such as former Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka and former president Goodluck Jonathan had already sent their apologies.
“We started by acknowledging the letter written in response to our own letter informing the president of our meeting and we thank the president for his goodwill message.”
Obasanjo added that the leaders appreciated the fact that Buhari expressed his readiness to make use of the recommendations from the meeting.
The ICIR had earlier reported how Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) claimed that there was a plot by a former civilian president to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari. The group, however, failed to provide proof of the alleged conspiracy.
BMO, in a statement issued on May 30, claimed that the former president was working with a gang of conspirators operating under the guise of ’eminent persons’ in the country.
The group said its ‘reliable security sources’ informed them that the plot to overthrow the president would be premised on the disaffections in the country through a planned conference of so-called eminent Nigerians.
Against BMO insinuations, the elders meeting held on Thursday showed that Buhari was in full support of the Obasanjo-led meeting.
THE African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced plans to launch its Strategy for Economic Governance in Africa (SEGA) on July 2.
SEGA is a five-year master-plan developed by the AfDB to revive economic activities in African countries in the wake of the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent.
In a statement released on Friday, the AfDB said SEGA would serve as its operating manual for fostering public sector effectiveness at national and sub-national levels.
It is expected that SEGA would help to stimulate structural transformation in Africa, and ensure that citizens, communities and civic groups participate in public sector governance.
“Through the Strategy for Economic Governance in Africa, the Bank is building on its commitment to continue the gains in governance across Africa and improve the capability of its regional member countries to make economic development sustainable and inclusive,” the statement said.
The launch, which would take place virtually, is to be attended by ministers and other government officials and experts across Africa.
“It will highlight the action areas of the strategy that aim to support Africa’s development objectives in line with the Bank’s High 5 development priorities,” the statement added.
The Strategy for Economic Governance in Africa was developed after consultations with governments and non-state actors in countries across Africa and replaces the AfDB’s Governance Strategic Framework and Action Plan (GAP-II), which covered the 2014-2020 period.
The statement noted that the 2021 edition of the bank’s annual meetings was focused on ‘Building Resilient Economies in Post COVID-19 Africa.’
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has sacked Acting Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Armstrong Idachaba.
Buhari equally approved the appointment of a veteran broadcaster Balarabe Shehu Ilelah as the substantiative Director-General of the NBC for a period of five years in office.
Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed announced the appointment in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.
Idachaba was appointed in 2020 following the suspension of Modibbo Kawu over alleged financial misappropriation.
The NBC under Idachaba handed out fines to some radio and television stations for allegedly contravening the country’s broadcasting codes.
Idachaba’s removal and Ilelah’s appointment are coming days after Buhari directed the NBC to immediately commence the process of licensing all over-the-top (OTT) and social media operations in Nigeria.
In a follow-up to the suspension of Twitter by the Nigerian government on June 4, the NBC had ordered radio and television stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts.
Also, in a newspaper advertorial signed by Idachaba on Thursday, the commission invited all social media platforms and online broadcasting service providers in the country to apply for broadcast license.
He predicated the directive on provisions of the National Broadcasting Act CAP N11, Laws of the Federation 2004, Section 2(1)(b)).
“The Commission shall have the responsibility of receiving, processing and considering applications for the establishment, ownership or operation of radio and television stations including cable television services, direct satellite broadcast (DSB), and any medium of broadcasting.
“The National Broadcasting Commission hereby directs every online broadcast service provider and social media platforms operating within the Nigerian State to apply and obtain broadcast licenee for their service(s),” parts of the advertorial signed by Idachaba read.
Idachaba also stated that any online broadcast service provider that failed to obtain a license would be considered as an illegal entity.
FORMER Nigerian leaders and elder statesmen had a closed-door meeting on Thursday, June 10, over rising insecurity and disunity in the country.
The meeting was convened by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, with former Head of State Abubakar Abdul-Salam and other influential leaders present.
The Ooni of Ife Adeyeye Adewusi; Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar III; former National Security Adviser Aliyu Mohammed Gusau; former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Attorney General of the Federation Kanu Agabi, and former Catholic archbishop John Onaiyekan, including politicians and diplomats were also present at the meeting held at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
After the meeting, the attendants did not respond to questions regarding the outcome. However, persons close to the meeting said the discussion bordered on the worsening security crisis in Nigeria.
The former leaders were also said to have deliberated on Nigeria’s economy, threats to the country’s unity, high rate of unemployment, corruption and development issues.
A few days before the meeting, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) had claimed that there was a plot by a former civilian president to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari. The group, however, failed to provide proof of the alleged conspiracy.
BMO, in a statement issued on May 30, claimed that the former president was working with a gang of conspirators operating under the guise of ’eminent persons’ in the country.
The group said its ‘reliable security sources’ informed them that the plot to overthrow the president would be premised on the disaffections in the country through a planned conference of so-called eminent Nigerians.
“While the conference ostensibly aims to review the state of the nation, we can authoritatively confirm that it is actually a premeditated plan to create confusion in the polity by calling President Buhari to resign after a supposed vote of no confidence,” the group said.
The ICIR can, however, confirm that Buhari, in a letter, welcomed the Obasanjo-led conference over the country’s various challenges and expressed hope that the former leaders would avail his government of recommendations from the meeting.
The president’s position might be surprising to many people around him. It is believed that some influential persons around him had sold the idea to him that Obasanjo was holding the conference to criticise and discredit him to undermine his government.
However, a presidency source, who made a copy of the Buhari’s letter to Obasanjo available to our reporter, said that the Nigerian leader might have come to his tether’s end in dealing with the myriad of problems facing the nation and might be open to suggestions and recommendations from well-meaning circles.
“I think first and foremost, the president is tired of listening to the same people advising him on national issues. He is facing challenges without seeing solutions. So, he probably sees the gesture by Obasanjo, Abdulsalam and others as an opportunity to bring fresh ideas to bear on the country’s problems,” the source said.
“Don’t forget that these men are former military colleagues and there is still a lot of trust and esprit de corps among them,” the source added.
Apart from this, the source also reasoned that Buhari might be less trusting of some people around him who had failed to proffer workable solutions but would continue to block fresh ideas from outside government, even from diplomatic circles.
CATHOLIC Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has said that Sharia law must be scrapped from the 1999 Constitution to ensure peace in the country.
This was contained in a memorandum signed by CBCN President Augustine Akubeze and Secretary Camillus Umoh, submitted to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review (SCCR).
According to the bishops, Islam enjoyed a special status in the 1999 Constitution, while Christianity was not recognised.
“To ensure peace and unity of the nation, there must be an end to the practically established status that Islam enjoys in our Constitution.
“We note in this regard that while Islam is mentioned very many times in the Constitution, there is not a single mention of Christianity or any other religion in the Constitution. This should be redressed,” the Bishops saidC
CBCN noted that the 1999 Constitution provided Sharia Courts for Muslims, which was why a Christian could not be appointed as Khadi under the states’ laws or Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal.
The Bishops’ Conference said with the provision of Sharia Law in the constitution, the Muslims ‘exclusively’ had a court regulating their affairs, but the same could not be said for the Christians, noting that it showed ‘a constitutionally backed gap of inequality and under-representation in the Nigerian judiciary.’
The CBCN said the enforcement of Sharia Laws with public funds amounted to those states adopting Islam as a religion.
“The establishment of Sharia Courts of Appeal in our Constitution is therefore inconsistent with Sections 10 and 38 of the 1999 Constitution. It amounts to the adoption of a state religion which Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution forbids and prohibits,” the memorandum read in part.
They noted that in reviewing the constitution, “all references to Sharia and any other discriminatory or divisive law(s) should be expunged from the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”
In October 1999, a former governor of Zamfara State Ahmed Sani Yerima and some other northern governors, at the time, had pushed for the adoption of Sharia law in their states.
Currently, Zamfara, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kaduna, Niger, Gombe States have adopted the Sharia Law.
ONE student was killed while many others were abducted when terrorists attacked the Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic in Zaria, Kaduna State, on Thursday.
A staff member of the polytechnic Ilyasu Mohammad confirmed the incident in an interview with The ICIR.
Mohammad said the attack occurred between 9.30pm and 10.00pm in the evening.
Two lecturers were said to be among those abducted.
But Mohammad could not give an exact number of the students that were taken hostage by the terrorists.
“There are security personnel in the campus; mobile police officers but they are not man. I think they are three in number.
“You know these people (terrorists) have a lot of weapons. The security men tried to do something, they exchanged fire but the situation was beyond them,” Mohammed said.
He further alleged that some lecturers in the polytechnic made efforts to contact relevant government officials, but received no response until Friday morning.
“Some staff have numbers of the government. They informed them exactly at the time of the incident yesterday. They informed them, but no one came around until this morning.
“They killed one of our students. They shot him in his spinal cord, and he lost a lot of blood. He died this morning,” he said.
Spokesperson of the Kaduna State Police Command Mohammed Jalige did not respond to calls and text messages from The ICIR.
Also, Special Adviser on Media to Governor of Kaduna State Muyiwa Adekeye did not respond to inquiries concerning the incident as of the time of filing this report.
However, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Jalige confirmed the incident and promised to get in touch with reporters as soon as details were available.
States in northern Nigeria have continued to experience a high level of insecurity in recent times with the escalation of terrorism and kidnapping within the region.
Education has been negatively affected by the development as schools remain a target for attacks by terrorists seeking to abduct students for ransom.
The ICIRreported an attack on the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka Kaduna State, in March, which resulted in the kidnap of about 39 students. They were eventually released in batches after several weeks in captivity.
In April, The ICIR also reported the kidnap of students of Greenfield University, a private university in Kaduna State.
Some of the students were killed while being held by the terrorists. Others were released after about 40 days.
A tweet says that Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is suffering from ‘inability to think properly.’ This has gone viral on the social media, with propagators alleging that it originated from the verified Twitter account of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
This image was circulated amidst a ban placed on Twitter in Nigeria by Buhari.
Findings by the FactCheckHub showed that the image was manipulated and therefore false.
The manipulated image circulating on social media.
The Claim
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg tweeted that Buhari was suffering from an inability to think properly and might need medical check-up.
The Finding
The image under verification was presented to look like a screenshot of a tweet. It had the photo of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and was alleged to have been posted on June 4, 2021 at 10:42am. It has been retweeted 2.6 million times, with 3.7 million likes. The account is @MarkZuckerberg and it has the blue verification badge.
The tweet purportedly read, “The Nigerian President needs medical check-up; he may be suffering from the inability to think.”
Findings by the Factcheckhub showed that the account @MarkZuckerberg was suspended for violating Twitter rules. When and why these happened could not be ascertained.
The suspended account.
However, the account is not Zuckerberg, the Facebook CEO’s handle. He is on Twitter as @Finkd.
Even though the account has been in existence since 2009, it is almost dormant. The last tweet was in 2012.
Secondly, he is not verified.
To determine whether it was the authentic account of Zuckerberg, the FactCheckHub conducted a Google Search, and multiple reports here, here and here made reference to @Finkd as his account.
One of the reports which talked about Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey unfollowing Zuckerberg cited this account.
In addition, Big Tech Alert, an account that keeps track of the activities of tech CEO’s and top executives, also has @Finkd on its list.
When Jack unfollowed the @finkd, Twitter public relations account replied the Big Tech Alert update with a goat emoji.
Goat icon in social media speak is also used to represent the abbreviation for Greatest Of All Time [GOAT]. It is meant to refer to or describe the person who has performed better than anyone else ever in their field.
Twitter communication reacts to the update with a goat emoji.
Furthermore, from the FactCheckHub audit of the followers of @Fnikd, it was discovered that Facebook follows the accounts of Slicon Valley bigwigs such as Youtube’s Chief Business officer Robert Kyncl; Lyft cco-founder, Gagan Biyani; Microsoft President, Brad Smith; Google and Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai, among others.
Facebook and tech bigwigs follow @Finkd on Twitter.
The lack of verification of the account may or may not be unconnected with the silent rift between the two tech bosses who have, over time, had difference of opinions on multiple fronts – from how to run their platforms to polices on political advertisements, tackling of fake news and so on.
Jack reportedly said he did not use any Facebook product while Zuckerberg reportedly attempted to buy Twitter in 2008.
Background to the misinformation
On June 1, 2021, Buhari posted a Twitter thread after receiving a briefing from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mahmood Yakubu.
Yakubu had updated him on a series of attacks on electoral facilities across the country, particularly in the South-East region.
Some groups in the region, largely made up of Igbos, are agitating for secession, leading to series of conflicts which sometimes result in loss of lives and destruction of properties.
In 1967, the same region had attempted to secede by forming Biafra. This led to 30-month-long civil war which Buhari, a retired military general, had fought in.
The war led to death and displacement of millions of persons.
In his response to the INEC boss, which was tweeted, Buhari referred to the civil war while talking of how insurrection would be dealt with. This sparked outrage, and the tweet was reported by multiple accounts. It was taken down by Twitter for violating its policies
This further led to the unfolding of several events, one of which was the ban on Twitter in the country. This has been described by those opposing it as unconstitutional. Another is the avalanche of misinformation circulating on social media.
The Verdict
The claim that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg tweeted that President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari was suffering from ‘inability to think properly’ and might need medical check-up is FALSE. The image was manipulated and the account cited does not belong to Zuckerberg.
A photo tweet claimed that Twitter had promised to respect the laws and sovereignty of Nigeria. It has been circulating on the social media, attributing its origin from verified public policy account of the microblogging platform.
This image circulated amidst a ban placed on Twitter in Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Findings by the FactCheckHub showed that the photo was a manipulated image and therefore false.
The photo shared on WhatsApp was also posted on Twitter by a user with name and handle, Fulani son, @NigeriaFirst1.
A reverse image search done by the FactCheckHub showed that the image was posted on Nairaland forum, However, multiple users on the platform had commented that it was ‘fake.’
The claim shared on Twitter by user Fulani son.
The Claim
That Twitter, through its public policy account, made this statement:
“We’re committed to peace, progress and freedom of speech of the Nigerian people. We have reviewed our actions and are in communication with the Nigerian Government and promise to respect the laws and sovereignty of Nigeria #KeepItOn”.
The Findings
The Factcheckhub recently debunked a claim where a manipulated image was used to falsely claim that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg tweeted that the Nigeria President Buhari could not think properly and might need medical attention.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey at a tech hub in Lagos when he visited Nigeria in 2019. Photo: Jack Dorsey.
The image under verification was presented to look like a screenshot of a tweet from Twitter Public Policy account.
A scrutiny showed that the image had been manipulated. The ‘l’@’ sign’ should have preceded the handle ‘Policy’ – which is the account for Twitter Public Policy. However, it was missing.
Secondly, the icon coming up whenever the hashtag #KeepItOn was used was also missing.
As at 1:15pm of June 7, the FactCheckHub checked, but the icon had not been deactivated by Twitter, which meant it was still functional.
L-R: The fake tweet showing the inconsistencies and a tweet grabbed from Twitter Policy account.
In addition, the tweet in question was not on the policy handle.
The last post with regard to Nigeria Twitter ban was made on June 5, 2021. Twitter had stated that it was concerned by its blocking in Nigeria, noting that access to Open Internet was an essential human right in a modern society.
Even though signs like the removing of #EndSARS logo, deleting of some of the separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu tweet and a press release from government had a milder tone and indicated that the Nigerian government and Twitter might be having conversation, the above tweet was not from Twitter as purported.
The Verdict
The tweet in question was not from Twitter Public Policy as claimed, it was a manipulated image. Therefore, it was false.
