Seun Kuti: Nigerians should inform me when next they plan to beat up politicians abroad

Seun Kuti, Nigerian Afrobeat singer, says Nigerians should inform him when next they try to beat up any politician abroad.

He was speaking on the back of the recent attack of Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy senate president, in Germany.

TheCable earlier reported how some members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) attacked the Igbo politician in Nuremberg during an annual cultural festival of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, an apex socio-cultural group in southeastern Nigeria.

Ever since the incident, politicians and average citizens have taken to social media platforms to criticize the secessionist group and air their opinions on measures to help prevent a reoccurrence.

Kuti, while commenting on the incident in a recent interview, joined the fray but expressed his regrets for being absent at the scene where the attack took place.

While he noted that his next course of action — if he were to have been present — is nobody’s business, the Afrobeats crooner said he would be offended when next such an attack would be staged without him being aware of it.

“What I’ll say is that next time any group of Nigerians is planning to beat up any Nigerian politician and they don’t let me know about it, I’ll be very offended. That’s the only thing I can say about it.I was there in Europe. Is it not more hands that we need?” he said.

“The more hands we have; the merrier it becomes. Something like that is going to happen and I didn’t hear about it, to be present! What I’m going to do if I were there is not anybody’s business. I mean, it should be an open invite for many Nigerians that can be there in the diaspora.”

The Nigerian embassy in Germany, in reaction to Ekweremadu’s incident, had requested a thorough investigation into the attack with a view to identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to book.

- THECABLE

Boris Johnson’s parliament suspension faces legal challenges

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suspension of parliament just weeks before Britain’s EU departure date faced legal challenges on Thursday following a furious outcry from pro-Europeans and MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit.

Johnson announced the surprise decision Wednesday to dismiss parliament — known as proroguing — for nearly five weeks next month, claiming it was necessary to allow him to pursue a “bold and ambitious” new domestic agenda.

But the move sent shockwaves through the British political system, which relies on centuries of precedents and conventions instead of a codified constitution.

In a blow for Johnson, popular Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said she was stepping down after eight years during which she has turned around her party’s fortunes.

Davidson, who supported staying in the EU, urged Johnson to clinch a deal with Brussels and mentioned the “conflict I have felt over Brexit” in her resignation letter.

Johnson’s opponents have labelled the suspension of parliament a “coup” and a “constitutional outrage” and it prompted immediate court bids in London and Edinburgh to halt the process.

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, has also written to request an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to voice his opposition to the suspension, as has Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson.

Labour’s finance spokesman John McDonnell said his party would not allow Johnson to behave like a “dictator”.

At least two legal challenges have also been announced.

Gina Miller, a businesswoman and leading anti-Brexit campaigner, said she had applied for an urgent judicial review challenging “the effect and the intention” of the suspension.

“We think that this request is illegal,” said Miller, who in 2017 successfully won MPs the right to vote on formally starting to leave the EU in a court challenge.

Scottish National Party (SNP) politician Joanna Cherry said lawyers had applied for an urgent interim hearing at Scotland’s highest civil court which they hoped would take place as early as Thursday.

However, arch-Brexiteer minister Jacob Rees-Mogg defended the suspension and insisted MPs would still have time to debate Brexit ahead of Britain’s October 31 EU departure date.

“The candyfloss of outrage, which is almost entirely confected, is from people who never wanted to leave the European Union,” he told BBC radio.

Thousands of people protested in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and other cities, while an online petition seeking to block the decision had garnered more than 1.3 million signatures by early Thursday.

At the biggest rally, crowds gathered near parliament in London chanting “stop the coup” and waving EU flags.

Queen Elizabeth approved the request to end what has been the longest session of parliament in nearly 400 years in the second week of September and reopen it on October 14 — just over two weeks before Brexit.

The House of Commons typically goes into recess around the annual party conference season, which kicks off on September 14 and ends on October 2, but critics slammed this more lengthy break.

Corbyn has said he may call a no-confidence vote in Johnson’s government, which commands a majority of just one seat.

The pound remained under pressure Thursday after sliding on news of the suspension.

In the seismic 2016 referendum on Britain’s EU membership, 52 percent voted in favour of leaving the bloc, a result that has left parliament and the country bitterly divided.

Johnson insists Britain must leave by the October 31 deadline — already twice-delayed — with or without a divorce deal from Brussels.

Parliament has rejected three times the withdrawal agreement struck between Brussels and the government of Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May.

Eurosceptics objected to a so-called “backstop” provision to keep the Irish border open for people and goods, which would keep Britain closely aligned with the EU.

- PM NEWS

NAPTIP : Man arrested for allegedly raping 12-year-old girl

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Benin Zonal Command has taken into custody, one Chukwudi Agustine, a 62-year-old cobbler, for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Mr Nduka Nwanwenne, the Benin Zonal Commander, told newsmen on Thursday, in Benin, that the victim who is a student, helps her mother to sell “Zobo”, a locally made beverage drink.

Nwanwenne said the suspect had purchased N50 worth of Zobo from the victim and gave her N500 note.

He said “The little girl, who had no change, agreed to come for her money after the day’s sales because she was familiar with the suspect and the environment.

“Two weeks later, the victim went back to the suspect’s shop to collect her money but she did not meet him there.

“She was, however, directed by the suspect’s apprentice to his house. When she knocked at his door, the suspect dragged her in forcefully and defiled her.”

Nwanwenne said that the cry of the victim attracted the suspect’s neighbours who rescued her.

According to the zonal commander, “on realising that the law would catch up with him, the suspect allegedly tried to settle the victim’s mother with the sum of N50,000.

He said, “He later reduced the settlement sum to N30,000 before he was apprehended by the men of the State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) who handed him over to NAPTIP.”

However, Nwanwenne said that the suspect, who hails from Ishiagu community in Ohazaria Local Government Area of Ebonyi, had allegedly admitted to the crime as investigation was being concluded to charge him to court.

- DAILY POST

Travel agent arraigned for allegedly defrauding clients of N9.7m

A travel agent, Adedoyin Abudu, 39, was on Thursday, arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly defrauding his clients of N9.7 million, under the pretext of helping them to secure travelling tickets.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abudu, who is facing a two-count charge of fraud and theft, pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The prosecutor, Insp. Ben Ekundayo, told the court that the defendant committed the offences between June and August in Lagos Island.

He said that the defendant defrauded one Mr Olayinka Olajuwon and others introduced to him by Olajuwon of N9.7 million.

Ekundayo said the defendant collected the money under the pretext of helping them to secure travel tickets to the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, of which he failed to do.

He said “The defendant, who was referred to the complainant, said he was a travel agent and was paid to book travelling tickets for the complainant and his friends to UK and Dubai.

“The defendant, however, converted the money to his personal use,” he said.

Ekundayo said that the offences contravened Sections 314 (1)(a) and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2005.

NAN reports that section 314 (1)(a) carries 15 years imprisonment for fraud, while section 287 stipulates three years imprisonment for theft.

The Magistrate, Mrs A. M. Olumide-Fusika, granted Abudu a N2million bail with two sureties in like sum.

She then adjourned the case until Sept. 2 for hearing.

- DAILY POST

Gunmen kill Catholic priest, set him ablaze

The chairman of the Kufai Adamu local government, Shiban Tikari has confirmed the killing of a Catholic priest, barely 24 hours after gunmen raided villages in Taraba.

Tikari who identified the deceased as Reverend Father David Tanko, also confirmed that the gunmen set him and his car ablaze.

He was ambushed at Kufai Amadu in Takum local government area of the state.

The cleric was said to be on his way to Takum for a peace meeting with his fellow clergymen on how to resolve the lingering Tiv, Jukun crisis when he was killed.

Tikari, alleged that the attack was carried out by Tiv militias and also blamed several other attacks that have claimed lives and property in southern Taraba on the group, noting that the reason for the attacks is still unknown.

Taraba has witnessed series of attacks lately with the most recent one in Wukari local government areas of the state. Two persons were killed while a police officer was injured in the attack.

In neighboring Donga Local Government Area (LGA), a student of ECWA Seminary School, was in the early hours of Wednesday killed on his farm.

The police are yet to confirm the report.

- PM NEWS

Insecurity: Aisha attacks Buhari, calls president unprintable names

Aisha Yesufu, Co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, advocacy group, has again attacked President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as incompetent, clueless and inept.

Yesufu who spoke against the deteriorating security situation in the country and the recent kidnap of three Ahmadu Bello University students also said that President Buhari was a failure.

DAILY POST reported yesterday that three final year law students of ABU, Zaria were abducted. They were seized on the notorious Kaduna-Abuja Expressway Tuesday afternoon.

The Kaduna State Police Command, however, said, its operatives rescued three the students but added, however, that three other persons were still being held by the kidnappers.

In a video, she shared on social media on Thursday, Mrs. Yesufu said, “When we say Mohammadu Buhari is incompetent, clueless and inept we are not insulting him. We are just saying it as it is.

“As the President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari has been incompetent, clueless, inept and a failure.

“The state of security today is heartbreaking. Did you hear of the ABU University students that were kidnapped? They should have been your children; they should have been you. Parents had to pay the ransom and they are back.

“I watched the video of one of the girls that were returned, she was crying. But do you know something? They (kidnappers) didn’t ask if the incompetent Muhammadu Buhari was her (one of the victims) president; they didn’t ask if she was APC, PDP, or whatever; they didn’t ask if she was from the north, south or other parts of the country. they didn’t ask whether she was a Christian or Muslim; or what tribe she was.

“They took her along other fellow students and other people. What about those who have not been able to pay the ransom? Is this how we are going to live our lives in the country? is this what we are going to continue to do? To look away and support this incompetence we have?

“No! It’s not doable. As long as one of us is not safe, all of us are not safe. the saddest thing is that this victim’s card is going from place to the other. it’s going around and the only god knows on whom it will fall.

“I’ll continue to repeat that yesterday’s victims were once survivals and today’s victims were yesterday’s survivals and tomorrow’s victims were today’s survivals. Let me tell you something, in Nigeria’s today, being a victim is no longer a matter of if its a matter of when.”

- DAILY POST

ICPC: We rescued 14 women from house of civil servant involved in N1.7bn fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has freed 14 females being held hostage in a house belonging to Iliasu Abdul-Rauf (pictured), national coordinator, Federal Civil Service Staff with Disabilities Multipurpose Cooperative Society.

The commission said the hostages were freed when its operatives raided the house as part of an investigation into alleged fraud involving the civil servant.

Rasheedat Okoduwa, ICPC spokesman, said in a statement on Wednesday that Abdul-Rauf is being probed for alleged N1.7bn fraud.

He said the suspect is also accused of multiple corrupt acts including alleged bribery and breach of trust.

The statement read: “Abdul-Rauf, who is currently under arrest by the Commission, is alleged to have been involved in multiple corrupt acts, including bribery, breach of trust, criminal misappropriation and other frauds running into hundreds of millions of naira.

“After his arrest, a search of his house by operatives of the Commission revealed 14 females between the ages of 11 and 33 years, locked up in one of the rooms and were evacuated.”

The ICPC said it has requested a senior magistrate’s court in Abuja to grant an order for the Abdul-Rauf’s remand in prison custody over the fraud allegations.

It added that the suspect has “a history of running from the law”, and had faced multiple charges form the commission.

Among his alleged offences, according to the agency, was tricking contractors into donating billions of naira into a national project that did not exist.

The commission said the suspects freed have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation.

- THECABLE