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Journalists, whistleblowers urge FG to promote press freedom for democracy to thrive

Amos ABBA
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Journalists, whistleblowers urge FG to promote press freedom for democracy to thrive

THE  Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF), has decried the shrinking spaces of press freedom in Nigeria.

In a statement issued by the Coalition and obtained by The ICIR, it said the shrinking press freedom in the country is characterised by attacks on journalists and media institutions, urging the Federal Government to intervene and pursue justice for the press.

The group lamented the complicity of security agencies and judiciary in repressing press freedom which has encroached the democratic values and authority of the constitution.

“The judiciary has also been co-opted into this range of assaults, the punitive nature of which suggests a long-term sinister motive to suppress press freedom and critical journalism, hence the continuous lack of due process and respect for the constitution in reaction to the supposed grievances against the concerned journalists,” the statement read.

The civil society groups cited several examples of the culpability of security agencies in unprovoked attacks on media firms and journalists in the country.

“On the 18th of September 2019, the Lagos headquarters and offices of Sahara Reporters offices was invaded and cordoned off ostensibly on the account of the planned protest over the unjust incarceration of the founder, Omoyele Sowore.

“This means that journalists and other non-media staff of the organisation were barred from performing their legitimate duty,” it said.

Officials of the Federal Government, the Coalition said, were also culpable of infringements on the fundamental human rights of members of the “fourth estate of the realm”.

It cited instances where Femi Adeshina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, issued a verbal threat against a statehouse reporter, John Ameh,who reports for the Punch Newspapers.

“Mary Ekere, a journalist working with The Post, a local news outfit was arrested on the 16th September 2019 on allegations that she was taking pictures of officials of the Akwa Ibom government task force who were conducting a raid on a recreational spot in Uyo,” it added.

“Ekere was arrested before she was released subsequently after two nights in jail, prompted by press freedom stakeholders in the state. Though, the charges brought against her have been dropped.

“Another journalist Agba Jalingo, Publisher of Cross River Watch, who was initially hounded for criticising the state governor was arrested and slammed with terrorism charges under which he is now being held, while his health deteriorates.

“Thus, since his arrest on August 26, 2019, he has been charged with a potpourri of offences including, “acts of treason, treasonable felony, and threatening through various publications on crossriverwatch.com and social media, using malicious publications, and instigating the people of Nigeria to stage protest for the removal of the Governor of Cross River State”.

“His case is an example of abuse of laws using trumped-up criminal offences to suppress the press for holding the government accountable,” the statement reads.

Tony Okafor, a Punch correspondent was harassed by operatives of the Nigerian Police over the newspaper’s reports on a suspended senior lecturer of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Dr Peter Ekemezie, it added.

The group stated that the attacks occurred in the month of September while Press Attack Tracker,  a mobile platform that keeps attacks on journalists listed 70 attacks on the media in 2019 alone.

“It means an average of two journalists have experienced some form of attack every week since January 2019. This figure is baffling and highly reprehensible and it would come as no surprise at all if Nigeria falls even further down in the  Press Freedom Index for 2019,” the group affirmed.

“If anything, the state of Press Freedom is indicative of a country walking backwards and dancing dangerously on the precipice of a dictatorship with zero tolerance for dissent.

“We appeal to members of the National Assembly to undertake a review of press laws in Nigeria and amend or outrightly repeal those that are anti-press freedom while constituting relics of the military era,” the statement said.

I tied her hands and legs with a wrapper —Port Harcourt suspected serial killer confesses

Abeeb ALAWIYE
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I tied her hands and legs with a wrapper —Port Harcourt suspected serial killer confesses

GRACIOUS David West, 26, a suspected serial killer has confessed how he killed a lady in a hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

West was arrested by operatives of Nigeria Police Rivers State Command on Thursday along East-West Road enroute to Uyo from Port Harcourt.

According to the police, the suspect has made useful statements, adding that investigation was on on with a view to ascertaining his motives and possible accomplices.

Police had on Sunday sealed off a motel located in the Rumuola area of Port Harcourt,   after the body of a young woman was discovered in one of the rooms.

But it is not clear yet if the suspect is responsible for the death of about four ladies who have been reportedly killed in hotels in the state in circumstances believed to be hallmark of serial killing.

In a video shared by the police on its verified  twitter handle , the suspect was interrogated by the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mustapha Dandaura and confessed to have taken the victim to a hotel where he allegedly strangled her with pillow case .

“We were inside the club then we discussed on how much I will pay her. After that we left the club to the hotel at Osas Road,” West said in the one minute thirty seconds video.

“When we got there, they took her up and I said let me look for a way to arrange for food that we will both eat,” he added even as he could not remember the hotel’s name but said it’s located around Rumuola where a lady was reportedly killed on Sunday.

“After eating, we slept till the next morning around 5:30am. I brought out a knife. She was unaware there was a knife. So, I told her not to shout that if she does I will use the knife on her.

“Out of fear she kept quite. During that time the television volume was loud. Then I used the wrapper to tie her hands her legs from the back,” and when asked which wrapper, West answered, “I used pillow case.”

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura is expected to brief the media on the arrest on Friday,  September 20. 

It will be recalled that few days ago there were  several reports confirming  killings of women in Port Harcourt and has since been linked to  be the work of a serial killer.

A number of civil society organisations have also staged protest in the state calling for an end to serial killing and protection of women.

A woman was rescued on Wednesday by the police  from being strangled at a hotel in the Mile 4 area of Port Harcourt.

 

 

 

 

Why we sealed Action Against Hunger’s office in Maiduguri — Nigerian Army

'Kunle ADEBAJO
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Why we sealed Action Against Hunger’s office in Maiduguri — Nigerian Army

THE Nigerian Army has finally disclosed why it sealed the Maiduguri office of Action Against Hunger (AAH), a global humanitarian organisation that tackles the problem of hunger.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Nigerian Army described the NGOs actions as subversive and also accused it of assisting terrorists.

It added that has warned the organisation against doing this many times already noting that it’s consequently decided to declare AAH “persona nan grata [sic.] for aiding Boko Haram Terrorists/Islamic State West Africa by supplying them food and drugs despite warning”.

“The Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE (TC-OPLD) has observed with utter disappointment and concern the notorious activities of some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) working in the North East (NE) Nigeria,” the statement said.

“The subversive actions of the NGO Action Against Hunger (AAH) persisted despite several warnings to desist from aiding and abetting terrorists and their atrocities the TC-OPLD has on many occasions raised alarm over this unwholesome practices of some NGOs and expressed same position during meetings with the NGOs operating in the NE.”

Premium Times had, earlier on Thursday, reported seeing two military trucks packed at the entrance to AAH’s office. Employees of the NGO told the paper they reported for work only to find that armed soldiers had taken over the structure.

“We are actually surprised that our Maiduguri office has been sealed off by soldiers, but we have no idea why and we have not been communicated,” AAH’s country director in Nigeria, Shashwat Saraf, told Premium Times.

“So we have been trying to find out; I will say we hope to get more information if there is any confusion before the end of the day. As it is right now, we have no information, though it happened since last night. We will get back to you if we have more information.”

The United Nations’ Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 states that a state receiving diplomats “may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending state that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable”. The sending state is then expected to recall the person or end his relations with the mission.

But the persona non grata status has been used as well by various countries for persons who are not diplomats.

In April 2018, the Nigerian Army declared three employees of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) working in the Northeast persona non grata following allegations that soldiers raped girls at IDP camps in Borno State. The decision was however rescinded days later.

Nigeria, Niger, Chad, others not expected to meet health, education SDG targets ─Report

Rebecca Akinremi
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Nigeria, Niger, Chad, others not expected to meet health, education SDG targets ─Report

A NEW report that tracks progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has classified Nigeria among countries not expected to meet the health and education targets, the major factors for human capital and economy developments.

The goalkeeper’s report  launched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday, aimed to identify what was working and where countries were falling short in achieving the global goals by 2030.

The report featured new data showing that global inequality remains a major barrier to achieving the SDGs by 2030.

In the report, many African countries were projected to not achieving the education and health global targets by 2030. “Even though life is better, it is still bad,” the report said.

Some of the countries listed included Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Niger, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Somalia, Burundi, Cote’diovoire and Guinea Bissau.

Though it stated health and education are improving in every country, very few developing countries, it noted were projected to meet the SDGs goals.

Gaps between countries, local government areas, boys and girls prove that the world’s investments in development were not reaching everyone, the report read.

“Where you’re born is still the biggest predictor of your future, and no matter where you’re born, life is harder if you’re a girl.

“Nearly two-thirds of the children in low- and low-middle income countries live in districts that, at their current rate of progress, won’t reach the SDG target for child mortality by 2030,” report partly read.

To show inequality in Nigeria, it juxtaposed two Local Government Areas in the country – Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State and Garki in Jigawa State.

“The average person in Ado-Ekiti, in Ekiti State, has more than 12 years of education, whereas the average person in Garki, in Jigawa State, has five.”

According to a chart that noted the child-mortality rate and mean years of schooling in 2017 across 774 Local Government Areas in the country, most Northern local governments took the bottom area of the chart. That is, access to health and education in the areas were still poor.

Among the local governments listed at the bottom included Garki, Ringim, Buji in Jigawa State; Gabasawa, Tundunwada, Ajingi in Kano State.

The report stated that investments in human capital today help people increase their incomes tomorrow. “But without human capital—that is, for those who are unhealthy and uneducated—it is virtually impossible to escape poverty.”

On September 25, 2015, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 193 world leaders, including Nigeria committed to the 17 SDGs which were a series of ambitious objectives and targets to achieve by 2030.

Some of the targets to achieve by 2030 on health include ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.

The latest UNICEF data estimated that in every 1000 live births, 100 of them will not reach age five in Nigeria.

Other targets on health include:

  • end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.
  • strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.
  • achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

Nigeria is facing a high burden of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2019,  the country has the highest burden of malaria globally. It had claimed the second position among countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis.

And the latest UNAIDS statistics estimated that Nigeria together with Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire
account for close to 60 per cent of new HIV infections and 54 per cent of AIDS-related deaths every year.

Measles is also a vaccine-preventable disease affecting the country. Nigeria was ranked the fourth among countries with confirmed cases of measles in 2019 in the world.

And on education, some of the SDGs targets include to:

  • ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes.
  • ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education.
  • ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.
  • substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

To develop low and low-middle income countries, including Nigeria, the report urged the government to invest in primary health care where people would receive quality healthcare services near where they live and work.

“Governments should prioritize primary health care to deliver a health system that works for the poorest, digital governance to ensure that governments are responsive to their least-empowered citizens, and more support for farmers to help them adapt to climate change’s worst effects,” wrote Bill and Melinda Gates if countries were to address persistent inequality.

Again, Nigeria approaches World Bank for $2.5b loan to address power sector

Lukman ABOLADE
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Again, Nigeria approaches World Bank for $2.5b loan to address power sector

THE Federal Government has opened talks with the World Bank for a $2.5 billion concessionary loan to boost its power sector.

Hafez Ghanem, World Bank’s vice-president for Africa, who disclosed this in Abuja said Nigeria had received in the previous year, $2.4 billion from the World Bank.

“We’re talking about a new set of programs of about the same amount, it should be around $2.5 billion,” Ghanem said.

Federal government had  in February 2018 taken a loan worth $486 million from the World Bank for the purpose of revamping the country’s electricity transmission substations and lines.

Nigeria has the capacity to generate as much as 12,522 megawatts (MW) but so far has only been able to generate about 4,000 megawatts (MW) despite $486 million loan from the World Bank in 2018.

Ghanem also stated that there is immediate need to resolve the power challenges of Nigeria to bring in investors and also the need to bring down the cost of power so as to foster a good competitive industry for development of one of the largest economies of West Africa.

He further explained that the World Bank is supporting digital transformation in Nigeria because of its potential ability to transform other areas of the economy including industry, agriculture and services and mentioned the comparative advantage of Nigerian economy because of the large amount of young citizens of the country.

According to reports, as of March 2019, Nigeria total external debt stood at N7.8 trillion ($25.6 billion) while internal debt was N17 trillion ($55.6 billion).

Despite the drastic increase in foreign debt,  Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed had earlier claimed that Nigeria does not have a debt problem but a problem of revenue and that Nigeria’s debt is not high.

One day after it took off, Reps ask CBN to suspend charges on deposits

YEKEEN Akinwale
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One day after it took off, Reps ask CBN to suspend charges on deposits

THE House of Representatives on Thursday directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to put on hold   the charges imposed on cash deposits in the implementation of its cashless policy.

The apex bank, had in a circular dated September 17, 2019 titled, Re: Implementation of the Cashless Policy, addressed to all Deposit Money Banks directed that as from September 18, lodgment of cash by individuals that is above N500,000 will attract 3 per cent processing fees for withdrawal and 2 per cent processing fees for lodgments.

For corporate bodies, it said, withdrawal or deposit above N3million will attract 5 percent processing fees or 3 per cent processing fees.

CBN said the directive will be effective in Lagos, Kano, Ogun, Abia, Anambra, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) while the full implementation of the cashless policy will become effective March 31, 2020, the document signed by Sam Okojere, Director, Payments System Management Department.

However, the House of Representatives while calling for the stoppage of the implementation of the policy, said the suspension would remain until CBN has carried out due consultations with all relevant stakeholders.

The call for the suspension of the cashless policy which has been greeted by criticism since Tuesday was contained in a motion unanimously adopted during Thursday’s plenary, which was moved by Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu.

Kalu’s motion was titled: “Need to Suspend the Implementation of the Cashless Policy on Deposits by the Central Bank of Nigeria,” and was adopted by other lawmakers who all agreed that the CBN should “suspend the implementation of the cashless policy on deposits, until appropriate and extensive consultative process is concluded.

According to the PUNCH, the lawmaker said the House was against implementation of the policy as it would cause more hardships for Nigerians.

“The House is deeply worried that the implementation of cashless policy on withdrawals has negative impacts on micro, mini, small and medium scale enterprises, which are clearly the engine room for growth of the economy and employment generation, thereby throwing many of them out of business and sending more Nigerians into poverty. forcing more traders and micro investors to carry cash about with its attendant security challenges,” he said.

“The House is aggrieved that while the impact of the cashless policy on withdrawals is still staring us all in our faces as well as other numerous burdensome charges by Nigeria’s Money Deposit Banks heavily impacting on businesses, the CBN deemed it necessary to impose the implementation of cashless policy on depositors ,without due consultations with all shades of stakeholders who will be impacted by the policy.

“The House is concerned that this overbearing burden aimed at closing down majority of micro, mini, small and medium businesses in Nigeria, is also aimed at enriching Nigeria’s Money Deposit Banks owned by a privileged few without any known financial contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.”

According to him, the policy on cash-based transactions (withdrawals) in banks was aimed at reducing and not eliminating the amount of physical cash (coins and notes) circulating in the economy, and encouraging more electronic-based transactions, including payments for goods and services, and transfers.

The lawmaker explained that the cashless policy was introduced for a number of key reasons, including the need to drive development and modernisation of the country’s payment system, in line with Nigeria’s Vision 2020 goal of being amongst the top 20 economies by the year 2020.

The goal, according to Kalu, is to reduce the cost of banking services, including cost of credit, and drive financial inclusion by providing more efficient transaction options and greater reach.

In addition to the suspension of the policy, the lawmakers also charged the House Committee on Banking and Currency to interface with the CBN to “ascertain the propriety, relevance and the actual need for the implementation of that aspect of the cashless policy at this time, considering the prevailing economic situation of the country and to report back to the House within four weeks.”

 

25 LAUTECH students in EFCC net over internet fraud

Nneoma BENSON
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25 LAUTECH students in EFCC net over internet fraud

TWENTY FIVE students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTEC), Ogbomosho, Oyo State have been arrested by the Operatives of the Advance Fee Fraud Unit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for their involvement in various forms of cyber crime including romance scam, love scam, possession of forged documents, and obtaining money by false pretence.

Wilson Uwujaren, Head Media and Publicity of EFCC made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday.

He said the students, aged between 18 and 29 years old, were arrested at their off-campus hostels, following a three-day raid carried out between September 16 and 19, 2019 by operatives of the commission.

According to him, the operatives, who acted on the intelligence reports, which was investigated using sophisticated equipment.

“The raid also followed months of surveillance and monitoring of their activities,” Uwujaren said.

The names of the students as contained in the statement include: “Pelumi Adigun, 18; Umaru Frederick, 21; Damilola Emmanuel, 22; Tomiwa Oyewole, 29; Adeleke Owolabi, 24; Oladosu Abdullahi, 23; Abdulmusaq Ismail, 25; Isajimi Joshua, 23; Olaniyan Tunde, 22, and Ebosele Francis, 28”.

“Others are: Oladejo Ibrahim, 26; Oluwadamilare Abimbola, 25; Orimoloye Joshua, 23; Alfred Samuel, 22; Bayewu Ishola, 23; Abiola Gbenga, 25;Alfred Daniel, 20; Agboola Solomon, 21; Arolewola Damilola, 25; Amoo Tunmise, 23; Akeem Taiwo, 25; Segun Ajibola, 25; Hassan Segun, 24; Onicha Joel, 23, and Tafa Bassit, 25.

“In the course of executing the search, Ismail, who confessed to being involved in internet fraud, took operatives round hostels, leading to the arrest of many of the culprits. Some of the suspects who jumped
over the fence to escape arrest, were nabbed in the process,” the statement read.

Some of the items recovered from them, believed to be the proceeds of their illegal activities online, include, “a 4matic  Benz, a Toyota Camry, a Toyota Corolla, two Macbook computers, two iPads, two iPhones and many other documents, which will be subjected to forensic analysis”.

The EFCC spokesperson said the suspected internet fraudsters, are currently in the custody of the commission and would soon be arraigned in court.

Court orders closure of P&ID operations in Nigeria, assets forfeiture

Amos ABBA
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Court orders closure of P&ID operations in Nigeria, assets forfeiture

THE Federal High Court, Abuja has ordered the closure of operations of P&ID Ltd, Virgin Island, and its Nigerian affiliate, P&ID Nigeria Ltd, firms linked to the failed P&ID oil contract negotiations.

The court presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo  also ordered the forfeiture of assets belonging to P&ID Nigeria Limited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The judge gave the ruling after the representatives of the companies pleaded guilty to the 11 charges brought against them by the anti-graft agency.

“An order is hereby made for the second convict to be wound up and its assets forfeited to the Federal Government,” Ekwo said.

The EFCC had initiated an investigation into the agreement following a British court ruling that Nigeria owed the Irish firm about $9 billion for violating terms of the contract.

It was revealed that the company had no license to sell petrol and that it did not comply with Nigeria’s tax requirements.

Both defendants admitted their guilt to the 11 counts charge read to them before Justice Ekwo and their role in fraudulently claiming to have acquired land from the Cross River State Government in 2010 for the gas supply project agreement which led to the $9.6bn judgment.

The presiding judge in his verdict identified the plea of guilty by the defendants and convicted them of the charges against them.

“I have reviewed the evidence tendered in this court. I have taken note of the plea of guilty and it is upon this premise that I find the first and second defendant guilty as charged.

“Both defendants are convicted in charge 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and 10,” he ruled, while only the second defendant was convicted of ‘count 11’,” he said.

Delivering his judgement, Ekwo said, “I have listened to the parties in this case. Being that the entities involved are corporate entities, the punishments to be meted to them are enshrined in the law.”

He consequently ordered that the companies be wound up and their assets be “forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria”.

The contract for gas supply and processing, GSPA, was signed by the administration of late president Umaru Yar’Adua and P&ID.

The company was to build gas processing facilities around Calabar, Cross River State, and the government was to supply wet gas up to 400 million standard cubic feet per day.

Unfortunately, the project failed to deliver on the major terms of the agreement as key elements necessary for its success of the project were not delivered.

In a judgement delivered by Justice Butcher of The Hgh Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, a three-member arbitration panel that examined the contract had ruled against Nigeria and ordered the government to pay the firm $6.6 billion as damages.

The money had accumulated with interest to about $9 billion which accounts for over one-third of Nigeria’s 2019 budget.

 

 

27 days after rejecting her resignation, Buhari removes Oyo-Ita as head of civil service

'Kunle ADEBAJO
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27 days after rejecting her resignation, Buhari removes Oyo-Ita as head of civil service

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has removed Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita from the position of head of Nigeria’s civil service and instructed her to proceed on an indefinite leave.

This was announced on Wednesday evening through a press statement issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and signed by Willie Bassey, the office’s Director of Information.

Titled ‘Stabilisation of the Federal Civil Service’, the release also said Folashade Yemi-Esan will be taking over from Oyo-Ita in an acting capacity while investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into allegations of financial fraud against the former head of service are concluded.

Yemi-Esan has been permanent secretary of the ministries of education and petroleum resources.

“The President has also approved the extension of the tenure of seven (7) retiring Permanent Secretaries for a period of one calendar year with effect from 1st October, 2019 to ensure stability in the Federal Civil Service and effective delivery on the nine priority areas of the administration as well as the mandates given to the new Ministers,” the statement continued.

The seven are Georgina Ehuriah of the Ministry of Interior, Ifeoma Anagbogu of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Grace Gekpe of the Ministry of Information and Culture, Umar Bello of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Suleiman Mustapha Lawal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Comfort Ekaro of the Ministry of Water Resources, and Olusegun Adekunle of the General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“Similarly, Mr. President has directed the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to commence the process for the selection of new Permanent Secretaries to replace all retiring Permanent Secretaries,” the release said.

“The decision of Government to extend the tenure of these Permanent Secretaries is premised on the need to ensure that the new Ministers are properly guided, briefed about their sectors and to ensure that a solid foundation is laid for the delivery on the Presidential Mandate which they jointly signed.

“The Permanent Secretaries will also help the Ministers to manage the process for the preparation of the 2020 Budget in line with the commitment of Government to return to the January-December budget circle and help develop various policies and programmes aimed at lifting 100million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.”

Oyo-Ita had a month earlier submitted her resignation, which was rejected by Buhari on August 22.

She is presently caught in a N3 billion bribery scandal, as the EFCC has probed her over allegations that she used proxy companies to secure contracts while still a permanent secretary.

Before her invitation by the commission, N600 million was traced to the account of one of her aides, who was interrogated by the EFCC and was afterwards released.

Oyo-Ita has refuted the allegation and said the money was rather meant for death benefits of staff.

CSOs protest serial murder of women in Port Harcourt

Lukman ABOLADE
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CSOs protest serial murder of women in Port Harcourt

VARIOUS Civil Society Organisations, on Wednesday, demonstrated in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, in protest against recent incidents of femicide in the state.

The protest themed “Walk for Peace against the Serial Killings of Women,” was attended by members of Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Cosmopolitan, Women in Rotary Port Harcourt South, and Greater Women Initiative for Health and Right. They were joined by over a hundred other people in the protest march which took off at the NUJ Secretariat.

Residents of the state capital have been living in fear after about eight ladies were reported killed in different hotels in similar circumstances.

The protesters went to the Rivers State Government House and demanded adequate security of lives of women in the state as well as a statement from the state government.

According to BBC pidgin, Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) confirmed the death of a lady who was found dead in a hotel room on Friday morning.

He corroborated the likelihood of the incidents being a serial murder but added that investigations and profiling were still ongoing.

Omoni also told those who participated in an earlier protest on Friday that prostitution is to be “blamed” for the killings and advised that female residents in Port Harcourt to desist from the practice.

Speaking to The ICIR, President of Women in Rotary Port Harcourt South, Blessing Micheal, insisted that the police department was wrong to have referred to the victims as prostitutes and also that irrespective of what they do they deserved to be protected.

She also mentioned that they demand an immediate investigation into the killings by the supposed “serial killer”.

The Greater Women Initiative for Health and Right led by Aseme Josephine also expressed their grievances to the Commissioner of Police who subsequently apologised for referring to the victims as “prostitutes”, adding that he was misunderstood.

The protesters, however, lamented their frustration on the refusal of the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Ipalibo Banigo, to attend to them despite being a woman.

Josephine told The ICIR that after much wait at the government house, they were addressed by the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, who assured them that the government will not relent until the perpetrators of the crime are apprehended.

Part of the protesters’ demands is the use of valid national ID cards at hotels and motels by guests and the mandatory implementation of Closed Circuit Television cameras for such establishments in the state.

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