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Multiple times Lauretta Onochie, Buhari’s aide declared she is APC member

Lukman ABOLADE
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Multiple times Lauretta Onochie, Buhari’s aide declared she is APC member

AS debate continues over the controversial nomination of Lauretta Onochie, the Special Assistant to Nigerian President on Social Media as a commissioner of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), The ICIR shares posts where she demonstrated partisanship and her affiliation for All Progressives Congress (APC).

Before the emergence of Buhari as Nigerian President in 2015, Onochie has been a regular campaigner and supporter of the APC and the President.

On January 13th, 2015, Onochie tweeted: “issues in Nigeria. hope is here. vote Buhari/Osinbajo. vote APC. improved infrastructure, reduce poverty, equip school.”

Two days later, she dissociated herself from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) while campaigning for Buhari to emerge as president.

In a response to the tweet, she added that she has spent many years campaigning for an opposition party against the PDP.

“We’re not pleased that the elections were postponed, but no matter how long we have to wait, we will still vote Buhari, Atiku had hoped that his agony would end yesterday. Now there’s still one more week of excruciating pain for him and PDP before they go into oblivion. #SaiBaba,” Onochie posted.

On the same day, she also tweeted that, “There is nothing that has a beginning that has no end including PDP. The end of PDP is here. But more important (sic), change is here. Vote Buhari.”

On June 6th, 2018, while campaigning for Buhari’s second term, Onochie declared on her verified Twitter profile that she is a ‘Buharist’.

In Nigeria, the term ‘Buharist’ is used to qualify an ardent supporter of Muhammad Buhari or his political ideology.

“For once, since 2010, I’m speechless. I feel like My vote on June 12, 1993, has just been validated. If I wasn’t already a Buharist, I would become one today. What is there not to like about President Buhari and his commitment to do what’s right. Our MKO can now rest peacefully,” Onochie posted.

In multiple tweets, Onochie also campaigned for the re-election of Buhari seeking Nigerians to vote for the president and the party.

Apart from her tweets campaigning for the APC and Buhari, Onochie on June 24, 2020 declared that she belongs to APC.

Onochie said this while the APC was facing an internal crisis before the intervention of Buhari. “There is definitely an APC e-NEC meeting tomorrow. We are going through a growth process. Thank you, everyone,” she posted with the APC flag.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, the word ‘we’ is a pronoun ‘used as the subject of a verb to refer to a group including the speaker and at least one other person’.

Though the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Paragraph 14 of Part 1 of the Third Schedule as amended by Section 30, Act No 1 of 2010, clearly stated that a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission “shall be non-partisan,” the president nominated a loyal party member to be a member of the election umpire.

#ENDSARS: Northern Governors Forum rejects dissolution of SARS

Vincent Ufuoma
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#ENDSARS: Northern Governors Forum rejects dissolution of SARS

THE nineteen governors of the northern part of the country have expressed their decision to reject the recent dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force.

Their rejection was communicated to newsmen on Friday in Abuja by Simon Lalong, Plateau State Governor, who also serves as their chairman, shortly after a with President Muhammadu Buhari.

“SARS is not made up of bad elements alone as it also includes personnel who are doing their work diligently,” he said.

While noting that the police need reforms to enable it to discharge its duty optimally, Lalong added the dissolved unit of the police has been useful in the fight against insecurity in the region.

The rejection by the governors comes at a time when Nigerian youths are staging protests across major cities in the country to demand an end to police brutality being perpetrated by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

In response to the agitation which has also claimed the lives of some of the protesters, Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) announced the disbandment of the dreaded unit. The Police Chief also announced the formation of a new unit that would replace SARS. 

President Muhammadu Buhari had also issued a directive, calling for a reform of the police force.

However, the protests have continued, with the protesters issuing a five-point demand which includes the release of all persons arrested and justice for victims of police brutality.

Other demands are “setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct (within 10 days), psychological evaluation of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed, and increase in police salary so that they can be adequately compensated for protecting lives and property of citizens.”

How true are viral claims on Nigeria’s unemployment rate, extreme poverty and debt profile?

Niyi OYEDEJI
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How true are viral claims on Nigeria’s unemployment rate, extreme poverty and debt profile?

A viral post on Twitter claimed that Nigeria has 28 percent unemployment rate, 49 percent poverty rate and $89.5billion debt profile.

The claims were made by a Twitter influencer Adetutu Balogun with the handle @Tutsy22 on October 5.

Balogun is currently having over 230,000 followers on her Twitter account where these claims were made.

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She also stated in the tweet that  Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N10 billion for population census which was reported by several mainstream media organisations.

The tweet read: “* 28% unemployment rate, * 49% in extreme poverty, * $85.9Bn debt and counting, Buhari just approved N10 billion for census. Extreme irresponsible behavior is main crisis facing leadership in Nigeria.”

THE CLAIMS:

A screenshot of the tweet.

From the tweet, these claims were established:

  1. That Nigeria has 28 percent unemployment rate.
  2. That 49 percent of Nigerians are in extreme poverty.
  3. That Nigeria has $89.5bn debt profile.

 

THE FINDINGS:

Claim 1:

The FactCheckHub first checked the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) website for the data on Nigeria’s labour statistics to determine the total percentage of unemployment rate in the country.

According to the statistics  on Nigeria’s labour force released by the NBS for 2nd quarter (Q2) of 2020, Nigeria currently has 21,764,617 unemployed people. The data also stated that 27.1% people are unemployed in the country.

The NBS also stated in the labour force report that “The unemployment rate during the reference period, Q2, 2020 was 27.1%, up from the 23.1% recorded in Q3, 2018.”

From the data, it is obvious that the Nigeria’s unemployment rate stands at 27.1% and not 28%, which makes the claim FALSE.

Claim 2:

According to the United Nations, Extreme poverty, also known as Absolute or Abject poverty is known as “a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not only on income but also on access to services.”

The World Bank in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in a 2019 report stated that those living in extreme poverty are  those living on less than $1.90 per day

In a bid to check if 49 percent of Nigerians are in extreme poverty, The FactCheckHub checked the World Poverty Clock,  a web tool produced by World Data Lab. The World Poverty Clock on October 13, 2020 revealed that 105,097,856 people equating 52 percent of Nigerian are living in extreme poverty in Nigeria based on the $1.90 benchmark.

The result stated further that 53,133,553 of the total people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria are males while 51,964,303 are females.

From the data, it is evident that 51 percent and not 49 percent of Nigerians are living in extreme poverty, thereby making the claim FALSE.

Claim 3

In a bid to check if Nigeria’s total debt profile stands at $89.5bn, The FactCheckHub checked the Nigeria’s Debt Management Office (DMO) ― the office in charge of keeping record of the country’s debt.

From the data gotten from the DMO, as at June 30, 2020, Nigeria’s external debt stands at $31,477.13M, while the total domestic debt was $54,419.39 making Nigeria’s total debt $85,896.52M.

THE VERDICT:

Based on the information presented above the first two claims are FALSE while the third claim is TRUE.

#EndSARS: Over N62m raised by Nigerian youths in support of protest in a week

Seun DUROJAIYE
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#EndSARS: Over N62m raised by Nigerian youths in support of protest in a week

IN one week, Feminist Coalition, a pro #EndSARS women group has raised over N62 million through donations by Nigerian youths to support the on-going #EndSARS protests across the country. 

The group of feminists formed in July 2020 has been at the forefront of raising funds for victims of the #EndSARS protests, providing legal and medical aid, refreshments, and supplies for protestors who have taken to the streets to demand an end to police brutality.

As a form of accountability, the group has also published detailed progress reports of disbursements of funds on a daily basis, promoting transparency and gaining the trust of Nigerian youths who have come to rely on the donations to organise and sustain the protests.

As of October 15, the group disclosed that it had raised a total of N62,643,663.05 and has provided funds for the set up of 100 peaceful protests in 25 states across the country.

It also disclosed that it has paid N759,080 in medical bills for injured protestors, donated N400,000 to the families of victims murdered by police officers while protesting peacefully.

The group has also paid N500,000 in legal aid and spent N11,367,500 on supplies including food, water, mask among other requirements for the protestors.

As part of its mission, the group said it is fighting injustice through peaceful protests, fundraising, and social media organisation.

While the group is ensuring an effective funds management system, it has faced some bottleneck.

On Tuesday, the Feminist Coalition via its Twitter page announced that its account had come under attack, disclosing that the bank account linked to the donation fund had been deactivated and the donation link severed.

“For demanding an end to police brutality we are now under attack! Our bank account has been deactivated and so has the Flutterwave donation link. Our members’ lives are also being threatened! #SARSMustEnd,” the tweet read. 

Flutterwave, a payment technology company provided a platform to gather donations for the #EndSARS protesters across the country.

However, The ICIR earlier reported that Tunde Lemo, a former deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Chairman of Flutterwave said he ordered the suspension of the fintech firm’s payment platform, to prevent illicit financial flow.

The restriction has since been lifted.

Japheth Omojuwa, a Nigerian youth and Chevening scholar in a tweet, stated that the donation link would be reset, noting that the government was not attacking Flutterwave.

“I have now been informed that the government isn’t shutting Flutterwave down. So we are clear on that. No one is shutting Flutterwave down. They will reset the donation link and get things going again. We are good,” he tweeted.

Nigerian musician, Falz writes Buhari to constitute NHRC Governing Council

Lukman ABOLADE
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Nigerian musician, Falz writes Buhari to constitute NHRC Governing Council

FOLARIN Falana, a Nigerian musician popularly known as FALZ, has written an open letter to the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari over the non-existence of a governing council for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The open letter shared on his official Twitter page was titled ‘Request For Reconstitution Of The Governing Council Of The National Human Rights Commission For The Discharge Of Its Functions With Respect To Cases Of Human Rights Violations In Nigeria’.

According to FALZ, the letter was in line with the statement of Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Nigerian President who had said that the Federal Government has accepted the 5-point request of the #ENDSARS protesters.

The letter read that Adesina in his statement said “the Forum agrees to the setting up of this independent panel by the National Human Rights Commission within the next one week’.

FALZ said in the letter that the Section 5 of the National Human Rights Commission (Amendment) Act 2010 empowers the Commission itself to receive complaints and investigate all alleged cases of human rights violations in Nigeria and make appropriate recommendations to the President while section 2 of the amended act provides for the constitution of the Commission’s governing council.

He further stated that the absence of the Governing Council can be attributed to the aggravation of human rights abuses across the country.

“As it stands now, the National Human Rights Commission has remained without the Governing Council since 2015 and still remains without it The unfortunate circumstance has led to the aggravation of human rights abuse,” FALZ stated.

The Nigerian singer added that the Governing Council is provisioned to consist of a chairman who shall be a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria or the Court of Appeal or a retired judge of the High Court of a State, a representative of each of the following: Federal Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Internal Affairs.

He added that the Act also provides that the Council should consist of three representatives of registered human rights organisations in Nigeria, two legal practitioners who shall not have less than ten years post qualification experience, three representatives of the media, at least, two of whom shall be from the private sector, three other persons to represent a variety of interests, and the executive secretary of the Commission.

While quoting Section 7(3) of the National Human Rights Commission Act, FALZ noted that the Executive Secretary of the Commission does not have the power to act without a Governing Council.

Stating the importance of reconstituting the governing council, he said the action must be taken in order to restore the confidence of young Nigerians in the proposed police reform process.

“Failure to do this would force young Nigerians to believe that the continuous refusal to re-constitute the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission is a deliberate attempt to mislead us into thinking genuine efforts are being made at reforming the Nigeria Police when in truth the opposite is the case,” the letter further read.

He also stated that due to the provision of the Act that vests the power to investigate cases of human rights abuses on the NHRC, the government needs not to constitute another committee to investigate misconduct by operatives of the defunct SARS.

CAN faults Onochie’s nomination as INEC Commissioner, asks Senate to stop executive recklessness

Niyi OYEDEJI
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CAN faults Onochie’s nomination as INEC Commissioner, asks Senate to stop executive recklessness

THE leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the nomination of  Lauretta Onochie, a Presidential aide, as a commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Christain umbrella body described Onochie’s nomination for the INEC position by President Muhammadu Buhari as an executive recklessness, a dirty slap on the populace, and a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution.

Samson Ayokunle, CAN President stated in a statement on Thursday that Nigerians were happy when President  Buhari said he wanted to leave a legacy of the free, fair, and credible election behind not knowing he was deceiving the citizens.

Ayokunle added that the nomination of his personal aide to such a sensitive position has revealed the type of electoral legacy the President is working on.

“When President Muhammadu Buhari said he wanted to leave a legacy of free, fair and credible election behind, all right-thinking Nigerians were happy and CAN have been praying for God to grant him the grace to do so. But the nomination of his personal aide to such a sensitive position may have revealed the type of electoral legacy the President is working on,” the CAN president said.

He called on the Senate to reject the nomination, stating that Onochie’s nomination clearly violated Section 156 (1) (a) of the 1999 constitution.

“According to Section 156 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) Act No 1, 2010,  a member of the INEC “shall not be a member of a political party.” Whereas Onochie is reportedly said to be a card-carrying member of the ruling party, that disqualifies her from being nominated and appointed to serve in INEC,” he said.

The CAN President also stated that Onochie lacks objectivity, justice, and fairness that are mandatory for every member of INEC as a result of her partisan membership of a political party and by being an appointee of the ruling party.

“As far as CAN is concerned, Onochie suffers objectivity, justice and fairness that are mandatory for every member of INEC as a result of her partisan membership of a political party and by being an appointee of the ruling party,” Ayokunle said.

“We are equally opposed to her nomination because of her unguarded remarks, public insults on credible individuals and the use of vulgar language and unprintable words against people who express their displeasure to some actions and policies of the government of the day, especially, her principal.”

He noted that the association and her leadership had been a victim of her unguarded statements since her appointment as the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media.

“A person like her by her utterances does not have the character to occupy a position of unbiased umpire in national elections in Nigeria,” he said.

He called on Senate to do a thorough investigation of the other three nominees to ensure that they are truly qualified and competent for the appointment and that they do not belong to any political party.

#ENDSARS: FCTA announces ban on protest in Abuja, cites breach of COVID-19 protocol

Vincent Ufuoma
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#ENDSARS: FCTA announces ban on protest in Abuja, cites breach of COVID-19 protocol

THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Thursday, announced the ban on street protests and any form of public demonstration in the nation’s capital.

Anthony Ogunleye, Chief Press Secretary to Mohammed Bello, FCT Minister, who announced the ban in a statement said the activities of the protesters which he described as unruly, have endangered the lives of citizens going about their legitimate business.

He added that the demonstrations contradict the COVID-19 safety protocols and guidelines which were put in place to safeguard lives.

“The FCT Security Committee met for its routine meeting on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, to review the security situation in the Federal Capital Territory with a view to addressing identified challenges,” Ogunleye said.

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”While the Committee recognizes the rights of citizens as regards freedom of association and movement as enshrined in the constitution, it has observed that the unruly conduct of the crowd and manner of demonstrations are in complete violation of the COVID-19 safety protocols which were put in place to safeguard the lives of citizens.

“These violations endanger the lives of not just the demonstrators, but also other citizens going about their legitimate concerns.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the COVID-19 guidelines regulating public gatherings recommend physical distancing, temperature checks, the use of facial coverings, amongst others.

“Clearly all these guidelines were flouted by the protesters. Consequently, the Committee directs that due to the dangers posed by COVID-19, all street demonstrations, protests and processions will not be allowed anywhere within the FCT.”

The ban comes at a time when Nigerian youths are staging protests across major cities in the country to demand an end to police brutality being perpetrated by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

Nigeria Police website suspended, as portal still recognises scrapped SARS unit

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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Nigeria Police website suspended, as portal still recognises scrapped SARS unit

The official website of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is down and inactive, The ICIR can report.

When The ICIR visited the www.npf.gov.ng, the official website of the Police, it was down and not available.

Inactive website of the Nigeria Police Force

There are reports of threat by international anonymous hackers that go by the appellation @YourAnonCentral  that they have hacked some Nigerian government websites.

Frank Mba, the Police Public Relations Officer was not immediately available for comment. His mobile phone was not available when contacted. Text message sent to his mobile line was not replied.

READ ALSO:

The anonymous organisation had earlier tweeted warning the Nigerian Government to listen to demands made by the #ENDSARS protesters.

The secret group is believed to be a strong supporter of human rights protection with apathy for tyrannical leadership.

It is known for attacking government websites and was responsible for the Egyptian government website attack during the Egyptian revolution.

A report by Aljazeera says the Anons has worked in partnership with other digital platforms to promote free speech in nations where such right is being threatened.

As of 10:11 am when The ICIR initially visited the Police website, it was still active and fully accessible, but the change was noticed almost an hour after.

Meanwhile, an earlier check by The ICIR revealed that the Special Anti-Robbery (SARS) unit scrapped by Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector General of Police was still active on the Force’s website.

Photograph of SARS unit still recognised in the Nigeria Police Force official website. Photo Credit: Olugbenga Adanikin, The ICIR

Twenty four hours after the Adamu’s pronouncement, officers of the force were sighted breaching the IGP’s order.

It was discovered that the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), headed by Mike Ogbizi, a Deputy Inspector General of Police contains 14 sections in the division.

The SARS unit was number four on the list and it is yet to be removed.

However, as of the time of this report, the website has been pulled down.

The #ENDSARS protest which has lasted almost a week has seen responses from the police authorities and President Mohammadu Buhari who promised a reform of the police.

But  the protesters are still on the street demand for more concrete actions by the government to reform the police.

 

 

#EndSARS: International hacking group, Anonymous allegedly hacks Nigerian government website

Seun DUROJAIYE
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#EndSARS: International hacking group, Anonymous allegedly hacks Nigerian government website

POPULAR international cyber hacking group, Anonymous has disclosed that it has hacked multiple Nigerian government websites in solidarity with #EndSARS protestors, who have for the past week taken to the streets to demand an end to police brutality across the country. 

Anonymous identifies as a decentralised international activist, hacktivist collective movement known for its various cyber attacks against several governments, government institutions, and government agencies, corporations.

Known as ‘freedom fighters’ by their supporters, Anonymous in support of #EndSARS protestors released a list containing personal details including names, addresses, and phone numbers of officers of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) following its supposed hacking of the government’s website.

“Nigeria: Anonymous hacks multiple government websites in solidarity with #EndSARS protestors and retribution for violence by police,” the group shared on its Twitter page which has over 5.8 million followers. 

It did not specify or release the names of the government sites that have been hacked, though there are reports that the official website of the Nigeria Police, www.npf.gov.ng  has been down.

In addition, the group announced that it was giving the Nigerian government 72 hours to bring erring officers who have gunned down protestors to justice.

It further noted that its rhetoric was a peaceful warning to the government to do the needful.

Since the #ENDSARS protest kicked off, over a dozen protesters including Jimoh Isiaq, a young Nigerian from Ogbomoso, Oyo State had either been reported shot or killed by men of the Nigerian Police Force during the protest.

As stated on its Twitter bio, the group indicates that its social media page is created for advocacy, awareness and fight for justice. It also states that its core principle is to ‘support the weak against the powerful and stand for justice.’

“The purpose of our account is to spread awareness, information calls for justice, and amplify movements and individuals alike that align with these principles. You don’t have to be Anonymous or a “hacker” to fight for a better world. Actions not nouns,” its bio reads.

Meanwhile, Jack Dorsey, founder, and CEO of Twitter had tweeted on Wednesday in support of the #EndSARS movement and also shared a link soliciting financial donations for the protest which has received attention all over the globe.

His tweet has been retweeted more than 78,000 and attracted more than 73,000 likes, as of the time of this report.

 

NYSC orientation camp re-opens on November 10, says youth minister

Lukman ABOLADE
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NYSC orientation camp re-opens on November 10, says youth minister

SUNDAY Dare, the Nigerian Minister of Youth and Sport has announced that the National Youth Service (NYSC) orientation camp is set to resume on November 10th, 2020.

Dare made this announcement on his official Twitter handle on Thursday morning, saying the full COVID-19 protocols would be strictly adhered to in the orientation camps across the nation.

“The Resumption of the NYSC Orientation Camp for prospective Youth Corpers has been approved and opens on November 10th 2020. Full COVID-19 Protocols will be enforced,” Dare posted.

The ICIR had reported that the management NYSC ordered the immediate close down of all orientation camps across the country over the fear of the imminent spread of COVID-19.

“Sequel to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic which led to the cancellation of the National Sports Festival, Management of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme wishes to announce the suspension of the ongoing Orientation course for the 2020 Batch” A” Stream 1 Corps Members,” Adenike Adeyemi, the NYSC spokesperson said in a statement.

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