How Boko Haram kill our people, strip our women – Borno community

Community leader, Mairi-Kuwait community in Jere local government area of Borno state, northeast Nigeria, Malam Usman Yaya has lamented the level of insecurity and constant attacks on community members who had to go to farm in order to have food on their table.

Speaking with DAILY POST in Maiduguri, Malam Yaya said the community buries between two and three people on a daily basis.

According to him, the community hosts more than 7,500 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs and has a total population per household of 12,765.

“Those days when the military were patrolling the forest behind the university, there were very little chances for the insurgents to come around the farms nearby where the people work for their livelihoods. Now, we are relying on the strength of the youths civilian JTF and hunters, who are being supported with only five soldiers.

“You know this community is virtually at the fringes of Sambisa forest. Now, there are no activities here for people to live on except farming to keep body and soul together. But going out to the field is a matter of concern because going out is dangerous and not only dangerous but also suicidal,” he said.

He said that in the last six years, since returnees troop back home, the level of poverty in the community has skyrocketed because there was no arrangement from government and no organisation in the name of NGO that came for any intervention.

According to him, burying people every day is becoming a normal trend but calls for concern, as such, they are calling on the government to send more soldiers to dark spots and forest linking Sambisa in order to curtail the activities of insurgents in the area.

” If Boko Haram get our women, they beat them and asked them to go naked and they would send them home naked. For the men they slaughter them,” he said.

- DAILY POST

Outrage as police free Port Harcourt real estate scammer

About 1,000 people who paid for plots of land after advertisement on radio by a Real Estate Developer, Livelihood Homes, popularly called De-Villa Homes, have accused the Rivers State Police Command of compromise by granting bail to the suspect, Dr Kelly Nworgu.

He was arrested on Friday 25 October but released on Sunday 27 October.

Nworgu was arrested after about 70 persons sent a “Save Our Soul”, SOS, petition to the Commissioner of Police, alleging that he duped them after paying to acquire land at APO in Omagwa in Ikwerre local government area and Etche Local Government Area since 2018.

More than a year after they paid, no land has been allocated to them. They were apparently scammed and have demanded a refund of the money they paid.

A 71-year old man, Pa Amadi Lawrence, who said he paid N1,020,000 for a plot of land lamented that he had to save up his retirement benefits to pay, hoping to build a house to retire into or possibly hand over to his children.

He expressed disappointment that Police could discharge Nworgu, after duping them. He said he would seek natural justice.

Uloma Jane Ekwusigo, a 29 year-old said her fiancée who works abroad had sent her the money to buy the land. She said ever since the land issue began he had lost trust and confidence in her.

She said the situation has also led to a loss of faith with her fiancee’s family as no one believes her.

Uloma was disappointed that the Police granted bail to Nworgu when it’s known all over the country that Police do not grant bail on Sunday.

She asked: “Why the hurry?”

Ibezim Michael, another victim of Nworgu’s scam said, “I suspect that De-villa man may have bribed the police. Do you know the man has a sweet mouth? He may have used his charm on the Police. But believe me, one day he will meet his Waterloo. Imagine collecting money from over one thousand people for 100 plots of land. What was he thinking if not to dupe people.But the police just let him off the hook like that. You see why crime is thriving in our country ?”

Rivers Police Command Spokesman DSP Nnamdi Omoni, also a lawyer, explained to journalists that the suspect was released on Sunday after he met his bail conditions and provided sureties for his bail.

Omoni said the crime allegedly committed by Nworgu is a bailable offence, which was why the Command granted him bail and released him.

The commissioner of police Mustapha Dandaura ordered Nworgu’s arrest.

The Police Boss CP Mustapha Dandaura also ordered that all adverts on De-villa home should be stopped in all Radio and Television stations across the state to ensure that others don’t fall prey to the antics of fraudsters who disguise as real estate owners and developers

During an interrogation of Dr Felix Nworgu, the CP said he discovered that the three Truckloads of Mobile Policemen attached to the De-villa boss were allegedly gotten through the back door as documents presented to him on the police security guard were all forged signatories which emanated from the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The CP ordered that all the Police aides attached to De-Villa, Felix Nworgu, be withdrawn with immediate effect and commanded that the officers report to the headquarters on Monday for profiling with their ammunition seized by the state command.

Some of the petitioners including senior citizens told P.M. News that they invested in the land as a means of owing property to build a retirement home in the city and did not envisage that the transactions were going to be fraudulent.

Mrs. Eva Brown said: “I paid N2,040,000,(Two million forty thousand naira) for two plots at the rate of one million twenty thousand per plot, since August 2018, “one year since after my purchase I am yet to get any plot allocated to me. It’s been come today or tomorrow. I just want a refund since I cannot get the land I paid for.”

Some others said Nworgu allocated one plot to five different persons.

Mr. Ibezim Uche said: “Look at the four of us sitting here. We were allocated to the same plot of land. We are tired of fighting each other, we decided to come together to fight our common enemy, which is the man that sold one plot of land to five of us. This DE villa man has finished us honestly. Instead of coming to fix the problems he created, he wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State that we were threatening his life. Now that we are here, let him give us our money because there is no other means to get to him. If you go to their office at Mgbouoba in Port Harcourt, the number of armed Mobile Policemen will not even allow you to come close to the office.”

The alleged fraudster, Dr Felix Nworgu, in response admitted that all the documents presented by the protesters were genuine but that the money has been used to purchase land somewhere else to be able to meet their demands.

- PM NEWS

CBN cashless policy in trouble as filling stations suspend use of POS over new charges

Most filling stations within Abuja environs have suspended the use of Point of Sales, POS, terminals in their dealings with customers, DAILY POST observes.

Their reasons are not unconnected to the new bank policy where they have to charge customers paying for their products using POS.

Following CBN’s recent directive to charge applicable taxes and duties on individual electronic transactions, filling stations now charge customers N50n per transaction as being charged by the bank.

Prior to this directive, the fee paid by merchants on the aggregate PoS transactions carried out on a particular period was never passed to customers, but with the new policy, customers would have to pay more.

However, during a trip to some of the filling stations around Abuja environs, DAILY POST observed that the use of PoS terminal has been suspended by most of the fuel stations.

Some of the filling station managers who spoke to DAILY POST, explained that the use of PoS terminal was suspended due to the charges which customers were not happy paying.

They explained that customers were complaining and angry about the new development, hence the need to stop the use of PoS terminal.

A management staff at AYM Shafa, Bwari Area Council of Abuja who wished not to be named said: “We had to stop the use of POS because we now charge customers directly for each transaction which was not the case before. If you notice, customers formerly don’t pay any extra charge for POS usage but now we do and they are angry and unwilling, hence the need to stop. The problem is not from us but the policymakers.”

At Eternal filling station in Jabi area of Abuja, one of the pump attendants, who wished to be anonymous also linked the suspension of PoS to CBN’s new directive.

“We have stopped it because customers are not willing to pay the extra charge for using PoS,” the attendant who was unwilling to comment further on the matter had said

- DAILY POST

Messi sets record as Barcelona hammer Valladolid to go top

Lionel Messi netted twice in a 5-1 win over Real Valladolid at Camp Nou on Tuesday, to fire Barcelona back to the top of LaLiga.

Messi struck in either half, with his second being a landmark 50th career free-kick.

Clement Lenglet opened scoring for the hosts, before Kiko Olivas levelled in the 15th minute.

Messi then set up Arturo Vidal to give Barca the lead, before curling home an exquisite free-kick himself.

The Argentina captain added one more after the break, while Luis Suarez also got on the scoresheet.

The three points ensured Barca leapfrogged Granada back to the top of the table, with a seventh straight win in all competitions.

- DAILY POST

Allow us import rice, Vietnamese government lobbies Nigeria

Vuong Dinh Hue, the Vietnamese deputy prime minister, has requested that his country be allowed to increase rice imports into Nigeria.

Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with Adams Oshiomhole, chairman of the All Progressives Congress, the diplomat said his country would like to increase trade cooperation with Nigeria.

Soha, a Vietnamese news platform, quoted Vuong Dinh Hue as saying both countries have to strengthen their relations by cultural and sports exchanges.

Other agricultural items that the Vietnamese made a case for were cashew, seafood, leather shoes and textile.

Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Oshiomhole said he told the delegation that the government’s decision to restrict forex for rice importation will not be reversed.

“Nigerians should unanimously back the decision of the federal government to close the border until our neighbours try to respect the laws of fair and free trade. Nigeria must not and can’t be a dumping ground for imported food, imported rice and other smuggled chemicals and drugs from other countries,” he said.

“I think this is one policy that Nigerians across the party divide, across primordial sentiments, should salute the courage of President Muhammadu Buhari in closing down the borders.

“For too long, Nigeria has been a big brother to our neighbours. Now, that big brother is hurting and hurting very, very badly. We must secure ourselves as in the way you board an aircraft that if oxygen fails, and they drop the mask, you help yourself before helping others. This is the moment. We must close the borders even if we do it for two, three years, it doesn’t matter. So that our neighbours will begin to respect the rules of international engagement and trade.

“What has happened is that people relocate out of Nigeria, target Nigerian market, use our neighbours to compromise our own trade policies.”

- THECABLE

Lagos set to auction 53 vehicles impounded for one-way drive

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) has concluded arrangements to auction vehicles of 31 traffic offenders already convicted by the court for driving against oncoming traffic as well as 22 automobiles that were abandoned for over six months after their arrest.

Chairman of the Agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that owners of the impounded vehicles who abandoned their cars have contravened the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018, stating that public notice has been issued for owners of both the court forfeited and abandoned cars to identify their vehicles at the Agency’s car parks in Ikorodu and Bolade, Oshodi.

“At the expiration of the one month verification exercise, the Agency shall apply to court for an order of ‘Public Auction’ where members of the public would have opportunity to buy any of these vehicles,” the Chairman said.

Egbeyemi clarified that the owners of the vehicles forfeited to the government pleaded guilty before Magistrate Omobola Salawu of the Lagos State Mobile Court at Oshodi after their arrest for driving against traffic.

He affirmed that in addition to forfeiture of the vehicles, each traffic offender was sentenced to 100 hours of ‘Community Service’ at any public institution.

The Chairman, however, maintained that with the State government’s zero-tolerance for violation of the law, the Agency would continue to prosecute traffic offenders until sanity was restored on state roads and law abiding citizens were allowed to commute without being impeded by unlawful individuals.

Meanwhile, CSP Egbeyemi also confirmed that over 7,350 impounded motorcycles were presently in custody of the agency for plying restricted routes, including highways and bridges across the State.

He stated that the Agency was awaiting further directives from the government in respect of the impounded motorcycles, disclosing that the motorcyclists were apprehended around Agege, Pen-Cinema, Apapa, Ikorodu, Mile 2, Obalende, Oyingbo, 2nd Rainbow, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Ojota, Maryland, Yaba, Oshodi, Ikorodu Road, Apongbon, Ikeja and Iyana-Ipaja.

- PM NEWS

Benin-based Pastor Solomon accused of sexual abuse of children

Benin-based Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, who said he is on a self-proclaimed mission to help humanity, creating the International Christian Centre for Missions (ICCM), is facing accusations of physically and sexually abusing children seeking refuge in his church’s camp.

The camp he runs in the ancient city claims to provide accommodation, medical care and education for 4,000 children, “most of them orphans”, as well as 500 widows and missionaries, using funding from local institutions, NGOs and churches abroad.
But witnesses according to an AFP report — children, their relatives, former missionaries and social workers — paint a far darker picture of the pastor and the treatment of those in his care.
“At first he’s very subtle, quiet — like somebody who wouldn’t hurt a fly,” one former church worker said of the charismatic preacher. I loved him, I loved his charisma.”

But during months of interviews, witnesses detailed how those living at his 30-hectare (75-acre) facility frequently go hungry and thirsty and endure atrocious hygiene conditions.

Some of the Boko Haram children who ended up in Solomon’s camp

All accused the pastor of physical abuse, while some accused him of sexual harassment.
Pastor Solomon, aged in his 50s, admits having problems with food and sanitary conditions in the camp but denies any mistreatment.
“There is no bad treatment here. We don’t do abuse,” he told AFP.
“Feeding them is a challenge… but we don’t have anything to hide. We are helping humanity.”
Concerns about the camp have a long history. Three years ago, the UN children’s agency UNICEF sent an assessment team to the site, who filed a report with damning conclusions.
“Pastor Solomon runs this camp as if it is his ‘kingdom’. He controls the movement and actions of every person in the camp through a group of ministers and specially selected children,” the team wrote in the confidential report, seen by AFP.
The UNICEF investigators said what they saw, coupled with interviews with children, caregivers and NGO workers, prompted “strong concerns regarding the possibility that Pastor Solomon may be engaged in sexual activities, or at a minimum, displaying grooming behaviours with girls in the camp”.

Oshiomhole and wife with Pastor-Solomon

Witnesses also told AFP that around a dozen young girls work for the pastor as his personal servants and receive preferential treatment.
“A girl who refused to work for him was punished and starved. When he beat you, he wouldn’t stop until you bled seriously,” said Rahila, a 16-year-old girl who left the camp several months ago.
“He had names that he called different girls… He would comment on the size of my butt, and he would say our chests looked like pineapples or stuff like that,” she said.

He had names that he called different girls… He would comment on the size of my butt, and he would say our chests looked like pineapples or stuff like that,” she said.

All the witnesses’ names have been changed to protect their identities.
Other children and adults said that those who upset the preacher were treated brutally.

“I was always hungry, there was never enough food or water. When we complained we got beaten with anything he could lay his hands on,” said 12-year-old Hauwa.

Pastor Solomon with Governor Obaseki

“No one leaves Pastor Solomon without a scar — whether it is psychological or physical,” a former follower told AFP after hesitating at first to talk about his ordeal.
Convincing people to talk about their experiences with Pastor Solomon is a painstaking task. Some have refused to speak out for 20 years.
“Most of the girls were coming from poor homes. They would sleep with him and in exchange he would pay for their school fees,” said a former female follower who was at the church in the late 1990s.

She said her going to the authorities about the abuse she experienced and witnessed was out of the question in a country where powerful men are rarely brought to justice.
She was also scared of juju, the traditional black magic widely feared by people in the region.
“I was scared to talk. He uses juju, people told me I would die.”
Evangelical preachers draw fanatical followings across the deeply Christian south of Nigeria. Pastor Solomon’s power stems greatly from his beliefs.
“He says he’s sent by God. To confront him is like confronting God himself,” a former church worker said.

Those who have served under him and lived in the camp say the pastor uses the fear of devil to keep people in line.
On the church’s website, in a short biography entitled “I Saw Jesus” — translated into six languages including Russian and Chinese — he claimed that he was saved from Satan by God himself.
Pastor Solomon’s International Christian Centre for Missions has expanded hugely since he founded it in 1990 with just a dozen young female followers.
In 1992, he set up the first “Home for the Needy”, taking in poor children whose parents entrusted them to his care on the promise of an education.

A former missionary said the pastor would sometimes misrepresent the children as orphans to raise sponsorship in Europe or the United States.
Ten years later, the church had grown to more than 200 branches, with missionaries and preachers working across southern Nigeria and funds coming from evangelical churches abroad.
“He was always browsing the internet to look for church organisations all over the world” to target for donations, the missionary said.
“He would send pictures of us or of the children, asking us to look sad. He was saying that white people are so emotional.”

But it was the Boko Haram jihadist insurgency more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) to the north of Benin City that caused a surge in the numbers at the camp.
As the violence displaced millions of people and grabbed global attention in 2013, Pastor Solomon’s group turned its attention to children in the conflict zone of northeastern Nigeria.
“The pastor’s people came (to Maiduguri) and convinced parents to send their children to Benin City where they would have a good education, with free food,” said Rakiya, who allowed five of her six children to go.

“At the camp, parents would be given bags of rice, bus fare, jerrycans of palm oil and the like. So when they returned to Maiduguri they would tell other parents ‘Benin is good’,” she said.

– No records –
No records are publicly available about how many children were brought from northern Nigeria to the camp.
Pastor Solomon told AFP that the Nigerian army and the intelligence service “have a copy of the register”, but this could not be verified.
UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wanted to set up a programme to reunite children from the camp with their families, but were denied access to their identities.
“At this time, camp management has been unable/unwilling to provide this information,” UNICEF said in its report.
UNICEF maintains that it passed on the report to local authorities in 2016 to make them aware of the “concerns”.

But nothing appears to have been done.
On the contrary, Pastor Solomon had full support of former Edo governor Adams Oshiomhole, now head of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress.
“With the former governor, we once had a good relationship,” Pastor Solomon told AFP. “When parents wanted to get their children back, he would give them money, he would give them a gift.”
Today, while denying any accusations of maltreatment, the pastor admits that the huge influx of children placed a major strain on the camp and that the church struggles for money.
Camp workers have told local media that to feed the estimated 4,000 children and 500 adults at the camp costs hundreds of dollars a day — and that does not include medicine, water, education and clothing.

“We also have a problem with hepatitis, measles, chickenpox and scabies; we don’t have enough accommodation for them, this is a big challenge,” the pastor acknowledged.
Witnesses said that children sleep on mats on the ground in huge hangars without adult supervision, relieving themselves in the forest, complaining of hunger and thirst and not washing, and that many have died in the disease-ridden conditions.

– ‘It’s our responsibility’ –
While conditions keep deteriorating at the camp, some European and US evangelical groups still send donations and materials to Nigeria.
The congregation of German pastor Gunther Geipel — who describes Pastor Solomon as a “friend and brother” — is one of them.

Geipel dismisses the allegations against the pastor as “tales” from “jealous people”.
“I cannot imagine that this is true,” he told AFP.
AFP put the allegations against Pastor Solomon and his camp to Edo State commissioner for social affairs Maria Edeko, who took up her duties several months ago.
She said she had never heard of the UN report or accusations of abuse and poor conditions at the camp but insisted they would be investigated.

She confirmed the authorities did not have access to the camp registry.
“From now on, I can assure you that my ministry will be on top of the situation. We need monitoring,” she said. “It’s our responsibility.”

- PM NEWS