AHMAD Lawan, Nigerian Senate President, on Monday, led a delegation of the Federal Government on a condolence visit to Borno state over the killing of rice farmers by Boko Haram at the weekend.
According to Ola Awoniyi, Special Adviser to the Senate president on media, the delegation is in Borno, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government, to commiserate and identify with the family of the victims, the government and the people of Borno State over the incident.
Members of the delegation include the chief of staff to the president, Ibrahim Gambari, Ministers of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, Communications and Digital Economy, Ali Pantami and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Baba Shehuri.
Other members are the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno(rtd) and Senior Special Assistant(Media and Publicity) to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu.
The ICIR had reported on Saturday how about 43 rice farmers were brutally murdered in Kwashebe Zamarmari axis of Jere Local Government Area of Borno State.
A BBC report says the deceased were attacked, tied and beheaded by the Boko Haram insurgents while they were harvesting rice on their farms.
However, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said in a statement on Sunday that the numbers of people that were killed were 110. He also added that many others were wounded with several women being kidnapped by the insurgents.
While describing that the incident was the most “violent direct attack against innocent civilians this year, he called that the perpetrators be brought to book.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity on Sunday, described the incident as senseless and insane.
He said the government has given all the needed support to the armed forces “to take all necessary steps to protect the country’s population and its territory.
THE Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC is set to conduct a comprehensiveaudit of all existing National Integrated Power Projects, NIPPS littered across the country.
The audit is aimed to ensure that all idle gas turbines abandoned in the country were restored and put to use so as to improve electricity generation and supply.
This was disclosed by Abdullahi Kassim, Executive Director, Generation, NDPHC, during a tour of three power plants namely Omotosho, Ogorode, and Ihovbor generation companies.
He said the move to audit the plants was spearheaded by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who had ordered the management of NDPHC to revive all gas turbines that were not in good condition.
“We are going to commence an audit of all the power plants. The audit will give us an overview of critical issues.
“Also, the security audit will expose the challenges around security, the mapping of all those security personnel around the power plants and the manpower gap, which was an issue raised by some of the chief operating officers,” he said.
A 2019 investigation carried out by The ICIR, revealed that Omotosho, Benin, Ogorode and Egbema gas plants which were managed by the NDPHC had been shut down due to power rejection to the national grid.
In September 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari had instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to prosecute two officers of NDPHC involved in an alleged $16 billion failed gas plant project.
The combined electricity generated from the eight NIPPS across the country was pegged at 468.7MW as of October 2019 but about 300MW gets to the consumers.
However, the Federal Government announced on Sunday the inauguration of the Gagarawa 2x60MVA, 132/33KV substation in Jigawa State after the facility had been abandoned for 20 years.
Sale Mamman, Minister of Power who inaugurated the substation, said the project was designed to upgrade the power supply to the industrial hub of the area in order to promote economic activities and increase revenue generation in Jigawa.
IN A bid to give listening ears to the protesters demanding an end to police brutality in Nigeria and address their concern, the federal government after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday October 16, ordered the establishment of Judicial panels of inquiry across the 36 states of the federation.
Since the establishment of the Judicial Panels of Inquiry across states, it has been an endless story of agony and pain as victims and families recount experience of police brutality and extrajudicial killings.
The ICIR though had earlier reported stories from hearings at some of the panel, last week, there were more gory tales than before as petitioners recounted their grief-stricken ordeal before the panels.
Lamentations at Lagos panel
One of the petitioners that spoke before the panel this week was Hannah Olugbodi, a middle-age hairstylist, who was crippled by the police stray bullet.
Hannah Olugbodi, a petitioner at the Lagos panel
Olugbodi, who appeared before the panel on crutches on Saturday, said the awful incident happened on June 6, 2018, when she was going to buy spices for her family dinner at the Ijesha market.
She alleged that the SARS officers were after the boys, who were watching football at the Ogun City hotel, adding that she got hit by the bullet when the officers started shooting sporadically as the boys refused to settle them.
“On one of those days, some boys were watching a football game when SARS arrived and accosted one of the boys who had tattoos.
“When the SARS men couldn’t extort the boys, they started shooting at them as they ran into the Ijesha market and that’s how I was hit,” she narrated.
She later spent six months at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), without any of the police officers coming to visit her.
Olugbodi, who appeared before the panel with a large pack of files full of hospital bills said she wants justice, noting that she had spent all she had to pay for surgery, ye she still can’t walk.
Another petitioner, who spoke at the Lagos panel, Adeyemo Rotimi, completely broke down in tears before the panel, as she narrated how her husband lost his life in the hands of police officers.
Adeyemo Rotimi
Rotimi said her husband was a LASTMA official who was shot on November 28, 2018, exactly two years ago.
She said she received a call at exactly 10pm on that day, that her husband had been shot dead by a SARS officer, Olonode Olukunle.
The panel admitted as evidence the photograph the husband soaked in his own blood.
On Tuesday, the panel hearing continued.
SARS bullet killed my 3-day old daughter, man tells Rivers panel
At the panel in Rivers State, one man, Nyordeh Sylvanus has narrated how his 3-day old daughter was allegedly killed by stray bullets from operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), on the eve of August 14, 2014.
“We woke up in the morning of August 15, 2014, to observe that one of the bullets from SARS operatives who were shooting from the night of August 14, 2014, penetrated my roof and killed my only daughter, a three-day-old baby.
“I picked the bullet on August 15 morning and went to SARS office and but was stopped at the entrance of the office by operatives who ordered me to turn back or join my dead daughter,” Sylvanus narrated.
Another petitioner, Lucky Eze, demanded a compensation of N20million and footing of his medical bills from the Nigeria Police for causing damages to his right ear.
Eze, who was a supervisor in a Filling Station in Ahoada Town, said he started having hearing problem with a hole in his inner ear after he was slapped by policemen who invaded his place of work on January 28, 2018.
He said: “I came here to seek for justice for brutality and wickedness did to me by the Police on January 28, 2018. I have been having hearing problem since then. I have five medical reports from five medical doctors of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) confirming that the slap created a hole in my right ear.
“I am here to seek justice for two reasons; one is to be able to continue with my treatment which I abandoned due to lack of funds. I didn’t deliberately abandon my treatment; I did so because there was no money. Secondly, I am seeking justice for the brutality they meted on me. I ask this panel that I be compensated with the sum of N20milliion.”
The panel headed by Hon. Justice Chukwunenye Uriri (Rtd), however, promised to conclude hearing on all the 171 petitions before it on December 30.
Anambra panel summons notorious James Nwafor
The Anambra State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Thursday issued a summons on an alleged killer cop with the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), James Nwafor, and two others to answer questions bordering on police brutality and illegal killing.
James Nwafor was alleged to have perpetrated several brutalities and extra-judicial killings of some innocent people in the state.
The ICIR had earlier reported about a man, Emmanuel Iloanya, who sold N27 million landed properties, including her daughter’s graveyard to secure the release of his 20-year-old son, Chijioke, who was arrested on November 29, 2012.
Iloanya said his son was allegedly killed by the killer cop, James Nwafor, whom he claimed also harassed his wife.
Meanwhile, Veronica Umeh, Chairman of the Anambra judicial panel and a retired judge of the State High Court said the summoned James Nwafor and the two other persons must appear before it on 8th December 2020 to answer allegations against them.
Ekiti panel sets deadline for submission of petitions, recommends N150,000 compensation for complainant
This week, the Ekiti State Judicial Panel of Inquiry announced 30th November, 2020 as deadline for submission of petitions to the panel.
The Chairman of the panel, Justice Cornelius Akintayo (retd) who made the announcement during the panel’s sitting on Wednesday stated that the panel shall not receive any petition beyond the stipulated date.
Justice Cornelius Akintayo (retd)
He added that the deadline would enable the panel to efficiently handle the petitions submitted before it.
Meanwhile, the panel, on Thursday recommended N150,000 as compensation for injustice done to Mr Adaramola Abiodun Olusola.
Olusola had alleged had alleged that his car, a Peugeot 505 Salon car, Reg. No YEE 310 AA was vandalized by hoodlums at about 5:30pm at Dalimore area of the state capital during the EndSARS protest on October 19.
After going through the evidence submitted by Olusola, the panel, however, asked the government to compensate the complainant with a sum of N150,000 to put his car back on the road.
Police demanding N1m bail to release my husband, woman tells Delta panel
Delta panel
A wife and petitioner, Mrs Ese Abugewa, has called on the Delta State government to effect the release of her husband who is being remanded in Ogwashi-Ukwu Prison over alleged trumped up charges.
Abugewa said his husband was arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Inspector General of Police in August 14, 2020.
Counsel to the petitioner, Albert Agbense told the panel that the police refused to allow the woman see her husband, while detaining him illegally.
Agbense said, “The petitioner’s husband was arrested on the 14th of August and they kept moving him from one police station to the other and nobody knew where he was until after a month when we heard that he was kept at the anti kidnapping office by one Azuka Egede, a member of the IG’s team.
“We discovered that they were using his phone to transfer money from her husband’s account. They also shot his ears and they kept him in police cell.
“We actually got a court order from the Magistrate Court to bring him to court at Asaba, but they refused to obey the order until we took the matter to this panel on Monday and adjourned our case to today Wednesday.”
Meanwhile, the panel adjourned the case till December 8 for hearing
Kastina panel receives 30 petitions as inaugural sitting holds
While some states have started hearing the petitions from the victims of police brutality, the Kastina state is just about to set the ball rolling.
Justice Abdullahi Bawale of the Katsina State High Court who is also the panel Chairman said the panel has received not less than 30 petitions submitted before it.
Bawale, however, assured petitioners and the accused that the panel would ensure justice and fairness to all parties in every case.
ON Saturday, 28th November, Nigerians were again reminded of the unsafe condition of their country when the news of 43 farmers killed by the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group were broken.
The northeastern part of the country has been in major crisis due to incessant killings by terrorist groups, bandits and inter-communal clashes.
While this is becoming a fearful norm in the region and other parts of the country, Nigerians are worried over the decreasing hope that the killings would end anytime soon.
In response to the killing of 43 farmers in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, President Muhammadu Buhari released a statement through the official Twitter handle of Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.
“President @MBuhari has expressed grief over the killing of farmers on rice fields at Zabarmari, in Jere Local Government of Borno State, describing the terrorist killings as insane.
“I condemn the killing of our hardworking farmers by terrorists in Borno State. The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings. My thoughts are with their families in this time of grief. May their souls Rest In Peace.
President Buhari said the government had given all the needed support to the armed forces “to take all necessary steps to protect the country’s population and its territory,” the statement read.
In a tweet response to the statement, a Twitter user who identifies as PH Made Alpha Male said the Special Assistant has been repeating the same narrative over the ugly incidents in Nigeria.
“Dear Garba, are you not worried that you keep repeating the same narrative to ugly events in this country,” the Twitter user said.
Like the user, some other Nigerians in quote replies to the statement asked similar questions, some are of the opinion that the President is not even aware of the incident.
As they mourn the killing of the farmers, a similar question in their tweets is, does Buhari have a template for condolence messages?
The ICIR takes a look at Buhari’s statement on the 43 farmers in comparison to other statements made about ugly events, killings and deaths in the country.
In the first paragraph, the key-phrase is ‘express grief’ and the description of the terrorists as ‘insane’.
While the word ‘insane’ is uncommon in the president’s statements, on too many occasions, Buharihas been found to have used the same words ‘expressed grief’ over killings or death.
Tuesday, 24th March, Buhari in his reaction to the killing of 47 Nigerian soldiers expressed grief but this time it was ‘profound grief and sorrow’.
January 5, 2019, Buhari ‘expressed grief’ over the death of late Air Vice Marshall Hamza Abdullahi, a former minister and military governor, according to a statement signed by Femi Adesina.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his profound grief and sorrow over the death of Air Vice Marshall Hamza Abdullahi (Rtd), a one-time Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT who also served as the military Governor of Kano State under him when he was the Military Head of State,” the statement read.
Below are snapshots of the many times the President has expressed ‘grief’ over death and killings in Nigeria.
In the second line of the Borno Farners statement, Buhari said ‘I condemn the killing of our hardworking farmers by terrorists in Borno State. The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings. My thoughts are with their families in this time of grief. May their souls Rest In Peace’.
The keywords are ‘condemn,’ and ‘rest in peace’.
Just seven days ago, Buhari had ‘condemned the killing of Phillip Shekwo, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (Nasarawa State) and also said ‘may his soul rest in peace’.
Buhari said: ‘I strongly condemn the killing of Philip Shekwo’ and in the last line said ‘may his soul rest in peace’.
“I strongly condemn the killing of Philip Shekwo. He was kind and jovial. His contribution towards strengthening the party in Nasarawa State will not be forgotten. May his soul Rest in Peace,” Buhari said.
Also in 2017, Buhari in reaction to the killing and attack of a market in Benue state also said he ‘condemns’ such action.
“The President condemns the wicked attack and directs security agencies to begin an immediate investigation with a view to bringing the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book,” Shehu’s statement on behalf of the president read.
Similar occurrences can be seen in the image below:
As usual, the president ‘griefs’, ‘condemns’ after the news of the deaths of innocent Nigerian citizens.
Buhari’s messages on national crises have come under several scrutiny most especially during the ENDSARS protests in Nigeria.
Nigerians still wonder whether the President has a template for condolence messages.
DESPITE domestication of violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP ACT), signed in 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari, cases of Sexual and Gender-based Violence, SGBV are on the increase as those saddled with the responsibility of checking the scourge do nothing to stop and protect those affected. The ICIR reports the travail of survivors of SGBV during the COVID-19 lockdown.
THE Nigerian Army and Police Force have remained silent over reported killings of about 40 farmers in Kwashebe Zamarmari axis of Jere Local Government Area, Borno State.
A BBC report says the deceaseds were attacked, tied and beheaded by the Boko Haram insurgents while they were busy harvesting rice on their farms.
The incident which occured Saturday morning had also generated reactions among many Nigerians who expressed grief over the attack.
“I’m stuttered,” Jamilu Haruna tweeted on social media. “God, what is this?” @Crispy_vick, another social media user reacted.
“These madness needs to stop honestly… North was a nice place to visit before but I can’t even go to Jos.,” @NsukkaBoi also tweeted.
However, no official statement has been released by both the Army and the Police.
Sagir Musa, Spokesperson of the Army was contacted by The ICIR but he did not respond to a text message sent to his line.
Repeated calls to Edet Okon, Police Spokesperson in Borno State was not responded to. Text message sent to his line to clarify the information and ascertain the exact casualty figure, if the incident actually occurred was not replied to.
The incident is one of several attacks carried out by the insurgents since about 10 years of its assault on residents in the North-East.
Scores of casualties have been recorded over the years with over 2 million people displaced. While some have taken refuge in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, others are still missing. The UN says the violence has also led to the displacement of about 1.4 million children in the country and beyond.
Though, the federal government claimed to have technically defeated the insurgents, killings are recorded on regular basis including ambush of security personnel.
SADE Ale, wife of the Ondo state governor’s chief of staff, Olugbenga Ale, has regained freedom after spending two days in the hands of kidnappers.
Sade was kidnapped on her way from Lagos on Thursday night by some suspected gunmen at Owena area, near Akure.
The details on how she regained her freedom is still sketchy as there are reports that she was freed by the men of the Ondo State Security Network, also known as Amotekun in conjunction with local hunters and vigilantes in the area she was kidnapped.
Adetunji Adeleye, commandant of the Amotekun Corps, who confirmed the release to newsmen said it was too early to disclose how she was rescued.
However, Tee-Leo Ikoro, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), who also confirmed the release declined to make further comments on her release.
He said the rescue was carried out by operatives of the police command.
“She has been rescued,” he said.
“That is the most important thing. I can’t tell you anything more than that.”
Ondo state has in recent times been a hotbed of criminal activities.
On Thursday, Oba Israel Adeusi, the Olufon of Ifon in Ose Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State was killed by suspected gunmen.
The royal father was killed at Elegbeka, a community along the Ifon-Benin highway, while returning from the monthly meeting of the state council of Obas in Akure.
His vehicle was said to have been rained with bullets while the driver was trying to escape from the gunmen. He was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, where he died as a result of gunshots he sustained during the attack.
The same day, a commercial bank was robbed at Ode Irele, in Irele Local Government Area, with two reportedly killed and several others injured.
The state government has vowed to bring the perpetrators of these dastardly acts to book.
THE federal government has directed the Senate of the University of Ibadan to immediately convene a special meeting to select one of its members to act as acting Vice Chancellor of the institution.
Government said the person the senate would consider must not be a contestant for the position.
Also,the government directed the university’s governing council to suspend its meeting scheduled to hold by 10am Monday to discuss issues on appointment of a new vice chancellor. Rather, it directed that the meeting be shifted to afternoon of same day.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, in a letter to the university through the National Universities Commission, NUC, faulted the proposed meeting of the governing council slated for 10am on Monday.
According to the minister, whose letter to the university through its Pro-chancellor,was signed by Dr. Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf, Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics) “since the tenure of the outgoing vice chancellor expires on Monday, it would be inappropriate for the governing council to convene meeting as early as 10am same day to discuss and consider his possible successor.
” The fact that the tenure of the incumbent Vice Chancellor expires on Monday 30th November, 2020, it is pertinent for the Governing Council to meet in the afternoon of Monday 30 November, 2020, to consider and approve the appointment of the Senate nominee as acting Vice Chancellor”.
GROUPS of Niger Delta militants under the umbrella body of Continuous Emancipation of Niger Delta (CEND) have warned foreign embassies in Nigeria to evacuate their citizens from the country as they will not be spared once they commence attack on oil facilities.
The group warned the attacks would commence soon, except the Federal Government satisfy demands made by the South-South governors during the governors’ recent meeting with federal government delegation led by Ibrahim Gambari, the chief of staff to the president.
Some of the demands include true federalism, restructuring, resource control among others. There are also concerns over purchase of Zamfara Gold by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), a situation the South-South leaders widely criticised.
The agitators further tasked the federal government to pay the 13 per cent oil derivation benefits directly to the oil and gas producing communities.
“We are prepared to carry out our threats to the letter without any iota of fear as we have the capacity to bring the oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta to rubbles if our demands are not met.
“In the coming days, there will be series of attacks on major oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta simultaneously because they are well prepared to push the pawn to the other side of the board without fear and harassment from security agencies and the federal government,” the demands read in a letter to the Punch.
“We want to warn all foreign nationals that this is the time to leave the Niger Delta region, as the attacks which will be total in the coming days, will not spare them. All foreign embassies should as a matter of urgency evacuate their citizens.”
The group which claimed responsibility for the recent attack on crude oil facilities in Ikarama community, Yenagoa of Bayelsa State wants oil companies to relocate their headquarters to the region.
They called for the restructuring of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Presidential Amnesty Programme in order to realise its primary mandate.
The militants also criticised alleged long-term neglect of the region citing the East-West road as an instance. They claimed the highway which connects the six states of the Niger Delta had been in a deplorable state. According to them, the road would have been fixed if crude oil was being transported through the highway.
The agitators, however, said all field commanders had been briefed not to show mercy on any oil and gas installations, no matter its location until the federal government meets their demands.
“If we do not act now, our children will ask us questions that we will not have answers to, our communities will go into extinction because of underdevelopment, environment degradation, and pollution.”
Several reports in recent years had detailed kidnap cases orchestrated by the militants until they reach a consensus with the government, especially through the amnesty programme.
In October 2009, about six oil workers including two foreigners were kidnapped by the Niger Delta militants.
The following month, eight more oil workers were abducted by the militants. In 2009 alone, about 100 foreign oil workers were reportedly kidnapped by the Niger Delta militants.
Muhammad Adamu, the Inspector-General of Police, has said that the force would never allow the type of the recent ENDSARS protests in the country again.
Adamu said this on Friday while responding to questions during a meeting with command commissioners of police in Abuja on Friday.
“We will never allow this type of #EndSARS protests again, it was violent. Peaceful protest is allowed in our constitution. When these rallies started peacefully, we provided security for them,” said Adamu.
The IGP added that the protest was being held peacefully and until it turned violent and the protesters attacked the people (police) that were protecting them.
“We were moving with them to make sure they were not molested by any group of people and it was going on well until it turned violent.
“When it turned violent, they then attacked the people that were even giving them protection. So, we shall never allow any violent protest in this country again. When you talk of peaceful protests, yes, it is allowed but violent protests, never,” the IGP stated.
He stated that many of the masterminds of the violence that rocked the #EndSARS protests had been arrested including inmates who escaped from Edo Correctional Centre while calling for the assistance of Nigerians to apprehend other escaped inmates.
“We have made a lot of arrests of those people that escaped from prisons. Some were even arrested in Kano and Kaduna. When they escaped, some of them went back to their business of robbery.
“And the cultists, when they escaped, they went back to the business of cultism, especially in Edo. We’ve been able to arrest a significant number of them and we are still after those that are outside.
“We call on Nigerians, any information you have about an escapee from any of the correctional centres, please inform us or any other security agencies, so that we can get them back to prison,” he stated.
However, in contrast to the IGP’s claim that the ENDSARS protesters were being protected before it turned violent, protesters in most parts of the state were not protected by the police.
In Abuja, while the protesters were calling for the disbandment of the dreaded police unit, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), police fired water cannons and teargas at the peaceful protesters.
Also in Oyo state, rather than the protection that the IGP claimed was given to the protesters, Jimoh Isiaq was shot and killed by a stray bullet from police as they tried to disperse protestants in Ogbomosho.
In what has now been tagged a Black Tuesday or Lekki massacre, investigations, video evidence and pictures have shown that peaceful protesters were massacred at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos state on October 20.
Following the killings, injuries perpetrated by men of the Nigerian Police, hoodlums used the opportunity to hijack the ENDSARS protests.
Most especially in Lagos state and Abuja, innocent individuals allegedly sponsored by agents of the government attacked peaceful protester.
At the Lekki toll gate, public and private properties were destroyed by hoodlums including attacks on police stations.
At the panel in Rivers State, one man, Nyordeh Sylvanus has narrated how his 3-day old daughter was allegedly killed by stray bullets from operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), on the eve of August 14, 2014.
The Anambra State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Thursday issued a summons on an alleged killer cop with the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), James Nwafor, and two others to answer questions bordering on police brutality and illegal killing.
