Abuja
#EndSARS: Institute invites protesters for dialogue
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has invited the youths currently protesting against police brutality with the hashtag, #ENDSARS for a dialogue with officials of the institute. The Director-General of the institute, Dr Bakut Bakut, who planned the dialogue spoke in a statement signed by IPCR Head of Media, Mr Musa Mato on Thursday in Abuja. Bakut said that the invitation was extended to the protesters to engage them in discussions with a view to ending the social unrest by youths in the country. ‘’The institute is willing and ready to facilitate a dialogue between all stakeholders to restore peace in the country and move the society forward. ”No conflict has actually come to an end without dialogue. Therefore, let us stop the violent protests and dialogue for the sake...
Tension as traders desert Gudu market
The police have mobilised to the Gudu Market following reports of the killing of an unnamed man in the market on Thursday. It was gathered that traders have deserted the market located in the Gudu District of Abuja. A trader, Madu told newsmen that “everyone left the market in fear after the corpse of a man was found in the vicinity.” “Because of the attack by thugs on Tuesday, everyone was afraid that the violence may spread to the market. So, we all locked our shops and ran. I don’t know the circumstances surrounding the man’s death but the market has been shut down”, Madu said on the phone. Spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, ASP Mariam Yusuf, confirmed the incident. Yusuf said operatives had been deployed to provide security at the facility. Get more stories like this on Twitter Yo...
#EndSARS: HURIWA charges President Buhari to set up assets recovery panel
Foremost rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has condemned what it called the silence of President Muhammadu Buhari over protests against operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force, in the past two weeks. The group in a statement issued by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, on Thursday, claimed that “certain ethno-religious extremists have been paid by some government officials to stoke the embers of ethno–religious division to graphically paint the #EndSARS movements with ethnic and religious colourations.” The statement noted that youths of the country are angry “because the elders who have had access to public offices and those wielding political powers have continuously feasted on the comm...
House of Rep member arraigned over ‘N1.6 million bribe’
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged a member of the House of Representatives, Oghuma Egwakhide, for allegedly collecting N1.6 million as bribe from three contractors. In a statement on Thursday, the commission said Mr Egwakhide was charged on a four-count before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi. The commission accused Mr Egwakhide, who represents Etsako East/West/Central Federal Constituency, Edo State, of collecting kickbacks from contractors handling school projects in his constituency. The ICPC said investigations revealed that Mr Egwakhide, demanded 10 per cent kickbacks from the N16.5 million contract for the construction of one block of three classrooms at Fugar Mixed Secondary Sc...
NSA: President Buhari to announce critical solution to #EndSARS protest in hours
The National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, says President Muhammadu Buhari is to announce a critical solution to the #EndSARS protest in a couple of hours. Monguno, who made this known at the end of the fourth National Security Council meeting, presided by the president in Abuja on Thursday said Buhari also directed all security agencies to always operate within the confine of legitimacy and legality. He said the president also urged the security agencies to always avoid anything that would aggravate the nation’s security challenges. He also stated that the president would soon come up with certain solutions to address the security challenges in the country, saying the president directed that government would also do all it could to arrive at ...
Police arrest 12 suspects over attack on police stations in Benin
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday said that 12 suspects have been arrested in connection with the attacks and arson on Police Stations in Benin. In a statement in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr Frank Mba, disclosed that five AK47 rifles, earlier stolen from vandalised police stations, have also been recovered. Adamu had ordered the deployment of anti-riot police unit, the Police Mobile Force (PMF), to protect lives and property of all Nigerians and secure critical national infrastructure across the country. He had also ordered massive deployment of Police operatives to strengthen security around Correctional facilities nationwide. The IGP said the order followed the increasing attacks and acts of arson and malicious damage to public ...
#EndSARS: Police speak on Abuja violence
The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says it has successfully restored peace along the Kabusa-Apo axis of Abuja after a violent clash between EndSARS and ProSARS protesters. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the FCT, Marram Yusuf, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday. She said some vehicles, shops and houses were set ablaze, with seven persons reported dead in the incident that occurred on Monday and Tuesday. Ms Yusuf said the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the command, Bala Ciroma, had commiserated with the family members of the deceased and ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. In another development, the command denied a report trending in the social media that its personnel were responsible for the shooting o...
Nigeria to begin business sample census October 12
File Photo The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, is to commence National Business Survey after 22 years. The statistician General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, announced this on Monday while delivering a keynote address at the Training of Trainers for the National Business Sample Census (NBSC) 2020 in Abuja. Kale said the information emanating from the census activity would be primarily useful in understanding the nature and structure of the economy, as well as providing a sound business frame for the conduct of economic surveys in the country. The Business Census also known as an Economic Census is a statistical exercise that involves the enumeration of formal and informal business establishments across the country. During this process, commercial and industrial business operations ...
President Buhari vows to check ‘greed of a callous few’
President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for all arms of government to deploy resources to address the common needs of all citizens rather than the greed of a callous few. The president made the call at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption and launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in Abuja on Monday. The summit has the theme: “Together Against Corruption”. According to him, the National Ethics and Integrity Policy project the government’s aspiration for the rediscovery of cherished traditional ethical values of honesty, integrity, hard work, truth, justice, unity, faith, and consideration for one another, irrespective of status or background. He reiterated his ear...
ICPC uncovers N5.17 billion fraud in education, agric ministries
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered diversion of part of the N2.67 billion payments made to some Federal Colleges for school feeding during lockdown. The Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, who stated this at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption with the theme: “Together Against Corruption and Launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy”, said preliminary investigation had indicated that part of the N2.67billion was diverted to private accounts. The event, presided over President Muhammadu Buhari, was held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday. The ICPC boss said: “We observed that transfer to sub-Treasury Single Account was to prevent disbursement from being monitored. ...
VP Osinbajo urges destination countries to insist on repatriation of illicit funds
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged leaders of destination countries to insist on repatriation of illicit funds and proceeds. Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the Vice President made the submission at the virtual inauguration of a publication by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on the impact of illicit financial flows (IFFs) on African Development. Osinbajo called for an overhaul of the international tax system in order to tackle the scourge. “The enormity of efforts required to tackle illicit financial flows is evident in the many dimensions the scourge presents itself. “It manifests through harmful tax policies and practices, abusive transfer pricing, trade mis-pricing and mis-invoicing illegal exploitation of natural resou...
No plans to Scrap NNPC in the PIB – minister
The Federal Government on Monday said that there are no plans to Scrap the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC in the Petroelum Industry Bill 2020 that has been transmitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari. Answering questions from Journalists in Abuja after an interactive meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly, Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, who allayed the fears of staff of the Corporation and Nigerians, said that the bill seeks for the commercialisation of NNPC and not outright scrapping. The meeting which was Presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, with the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other Leaders of the National Assembly in attendance is aimed at discussing the deta...
