AUTHORITY LOOTER Vs CITIZEN LOOTER ! #EndSARS: Adamawa threatens to demolish houses of palliative looters

 

Ahmadu Fintiri, governor of Adamawa, has given all those who looted COVID-19 relief items in the state 12 hours to return them.

In a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday, Fintiri threatened to demolish any building that houses the stolen items.

On Sunday, a mob hit a warehouse in Yola, the state capital, carting away food items such as spaghetti, groundnut oil and cartons of noodles.

The warehouse is located on Kwana-Waya road on the outskirts of Yola.

However, the governor said the looters have up till 6am on Wednesday to return these items or he would order a house-to-house search.

“This ultimatum will expire at 6am on Wednesday, 28th October, 2020, after which I will sign an executive order for a house-to-house search to commence by 7am of the same day,” he said.

“Part of the provision of the order is a sanction that will attract withdrawal of C-of-O and if necessary, demolition of every house that harbours any of the stolen properties.

“Law-abiding citizens should cooperate with the security agencies to ensure this is enforced.”

Meanwhile, Sadiq Umar-Daware, chairman of the North East Commodity Associations (NECAS), said a mob that attacked its warehouse in Adamawa and looted 110 tractors, farm implements, foodstuffs, office equipment and documents meant to be distributed to farmers for the planting season.

Umar-Delaware disclosed this in an interview with NAN on Tuesday, adding that warehouses of affiliate associations such as the Rice Farmers Association (RIFAN) and Maize Farmers Association of Nigeria (MFAN) were also looted.

“They not only took tonnes of produce, they also made away with the farm inputs for the dry season farming and the offices of Rice Farmers Association, Maize Farmers Association of Nigeria (MFAN) and the NECAS were also looted and vandalised,” he said.

“Files for various programmes were destroyed and they made away with various documents.

“What they took away include tonnes of rice, beans, maize, sorghum, millet, computers, tables, chairs, water dispenser and cash.”

Speaking on why NECAS has many tractors  in its possession, Umar-Daware said it was to provide leasing and mechanisation service for farmers.

He, however, urged Adamawa residents to be on the lookout for anybody in possession of the tractors and report to NECAS, RIFAN and MFAN officials for recovery and necessary action.

There have been massive looting across the country in the aftermath of the demonstrations against police brutality.

- THECABLE

Fagba ethnic clash: Sanwo-Olu assures of compensation, warns miscreants

 

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the government will not tolerate violence.

He gave the warning during a visit to Fagba in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area.

Last week, days of clashes caused a number of casualties and destruction of property.

The crisis which broke out in the aftermath of the End SARS protests took an ethnic dimension.

Sanwo-Olu described the level of damage as colossal and unfortunate.

The governor assured that enumeration would start immediately.

He said the two local councils (Ifako-Ijaiye and Ojokoro) affected by the mayhem will collaborate and draw up a list of victims and their losses.

Sanwo-Olu gave troublemakers “final notice”, disclosing that security in affected areas would be heightened.

“We are coming to clear this whole place, and we will make sure that you do not disturb or harass the peace-loving people that we have in this neighborhood. We have Hausa community, Igbo community and Yoruba community, and they are living well.

“You need to look for what to do. We will not allow you to come and tarnish the image and the peace in Fagba and in Lagos. We will come and see what we can do to help the youth. Once we do that, we’d have given you an opportunity to remain law-abiding and peaceful. If not, we will be hard.

“Please let peace reign. Let us live like brothers and sisters in Lagos. We will do the compensation as soon as we get the breakdown of the enumeration. We might not be able to give you all the full benefits, but we will ensure that we do not leave you alone.

“Please let’s be sincere about it. If you don’t have more than two shops in this place, don’t say you have eight. If you don’t have more than two rooms, don’t say you have nine rooms. That is the only way government can assist well, and we can help,” the governor added.

- DAILY POST

Pickford hires bodyguards after death threats over Van Dijk tackle

 

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reportedly has hired bodyguards as a form of protection for him and his family.

This is after the England’s star received a number of death threats following his season-ending challenge on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool fans are said to be more angry because Pickford was not sanctioned by the referee after the tackle. He has received a number of death threats afterward on social media.

The former Sunderland star asked a specialist security firm to look out for his family and guards were seen outside his home last week.

He has also been advised to stay off all forms of social media, so as not to reveal his whereabouts, which could encourage spontaneous attacks.

- PM NEWS

Niger, Benin Republic pay Nigeria $6.6m out of $13m electricity debt

 

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says two international customers have paid Nigeria $6.6 million out of the $13 million debt owed for electricity supply.

Under an international treaty, Nigeria sells electricity to neighbouring countries like Benin Republic, Togo and Niger.

According to the regulator’s 2020 first-quarter report, Niger and Benin Republic paid $5.27 million and $1.39 million, respectively, out of $13.22 million on the invoice issued to them for electricity supply from January to March.

“The financial viability and commercial performance of the industry continued to be a major challenge with a decline in the first quarter of 2020,” the NERC said.

“During the quarter under review, the total billing to and collection from electricity consumers by all the 11 DisCos stood at ₦186.82billion and ₦114.29billion respectively. These denote 78.38% and 61.18% billing and collection efficiency respectively, indicating 4.21% and 8.26% points decreases respectively when compared with the fourth quarter of 2019.

“The level of collection efficiency during the quarter under review indicates that as much as ₦3.88 out of every ₦10 worth of energy sold during the first quarter of 2020 remained uncollected from consumers.

“During the quarter under review, the special customers (Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd and its environs) did not make any payment in respect of the ₦0.27billion and ₦0.05billion invoices issued by NBET and MO respectively.

“A total of ₦4.05billion (US$13.22million) invoices were issued by MO to international customers (i.e., Societe Nigerienne d’electricite – NIGELEC, Societe Beninoise d’Energie Electrique – SBEE, and Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo – CEET).

“During the quarter, NIGELEC made a payment of ₦1.61billion (US$5.27million) as part of its outstanding bills for the energy received from NBET and services rendered by MO. Similarly, SBEE paid ₦0.43bilion (US$1.39million) in respect of services received from MO.”

In June, the NERC said the international customers owed Nigeria N32.8 billion in electricity bills.

- THECABLE

It is going to be a difficult season for Real Madrid – Zidane

 

Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, has admitted it will be a difficult season for his team.

Zidane was speaking after Casemiro’s 93rd-minute goal ensured they drew 2-2 with Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Marcus Thuram’s brace gave hosts Gladbach the lead at Borussia-Park but late strikes from Karim Benzema and Casemiro saw Madrid avoid a record fourth consecutive European defeat.

The result leaves Los Blancos with one win, one draw and two defeats from their last four fixtures in all competitions.

“We didn’t transform the possession we enjoyed into proper chances.

“What I’ll take from this experience is how these players reacted. This was a very important point to secure.

“This is going to be a difficult year for everyone, but I’m proud of my team tonight. Playing like this we’ll go through the group to the next round without any doubt,” Zidane said.

- DAILY POST

Lekki Massacre: Amnesty says Nigerian authorities trying to cover up

 

The Nigerian authorities’ must end their attempts to cover up the Lekki Toll Gate massacre, Amnesty International said, as it released a new timeline investigating the atrocity one week later.

The timeline collates photographs and video footage to confirm that Nigerian Army vehicles left Bonny Camp, a military base approximately a seven-minute drive from the toll gate, at 6.29pm local time on 20 October.

Footage then tracks the vehicles to the toll gate. At approximately 6.45pm, the Nigerian military opened fire on the #EndSars protesters who were peacefully calling for an end to police brutality.

(Read the timeline here

“What happened at Lekki Toll Gate has all the traits of the Nigerian authorities’ pattern of a cover-up whenever their defence and security forces commit unlawful killings,” said Osai Ojigho, Country Director of Amnesty International.

“One week on, the Nigerian authorities still have many questions to answer: who ordered the use of lethal force on peaceful protesters? Why were CCTV cameras on the scene dismantled in advance? And who ordered electricity being turned off minutes before the military opened fire on protesters?

“The initial denials of the involvement of soldiers in the shooting was followed by the shameful denial of the loss of lives as a result of the military’s attack against the protests.

“Many people are still missing since the day of the incident, and credible evidence shows that the military prevented ambulances from reaching the severely injured in the aftermath.”

Amnesty International is again calling on Nigerian authorities to bring to justice those behind the shooting and to protect those who are exercising their right to freedom of assembly.

The organization is still investigating the shooting, and the reported removal of bodies of those killed by the military in an attempt to remove evidence.

Tracking the military’s movements

Amnesty International’s Crisis Response experts investigated and verified social media videos and photographs that confirm the Nigerian security forces were present at the Lekki Toll Gate when the shootings occurred.

At 6.29pm local time in Lagos, two military vehicles were filmed leaving Bonny Camp on videos shared on social media. Later footage shows four vehicles with flashing lights in a convoy, and they appear to be vehicles used by the Nigerian military and police.

The same vehicles head east along Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue – which changes its name to the Lekki-Epe Expressway – in the direction of the Lekki Toll Gate.

On this route, the vehicles pass several international embassies and consulates, including the Japanese Embassy and the Australian High Commission.

Further photographs and footage capture the vehicles arriving at the toll gate, before the peaceful protest is disrupted by men in military uniform and gunfire is heard.

As night time descended, protesters continued to film and share videos of the shootings. Later in the evening, videos of the victims were also shared on social media.

Amnesty International has been monitoring developments across Nigeria since the #EndSars protest began on 8 October 2020.

Nigerians have been taking to the streets, peacefully demanding an end to police brutality, extrajudicial executions and extortion by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian police tasked with fighting violent crimes.

At least 56 people have died across the country since protests began. In multiple cases, the security forces have used excessive force in an attempt to control or stop the protests.

*Statement by Amnesty International

Lawyer: Papers filed against Tinubu, Alpha Beta got burnt during invasion of Lagos court

 

Tade Ipadeola, counsel to Dapo Apara, a former managing director of Alpha Beta Consulting, a tax firm, says the originating summons filed at Igbosere high court, Lagos, against Bola Tinubu, former governor of the state, and the company, have been burnt.

TheCable had reported how the court was overrun by hoodlums who carted away files and equipment after vandalising the building.

The attack on the court happened after suspected hoodlums broke loose in the dying days of the #EndSARS protest.

In the suit, Apara had alleged that the company has been diverting billions of naira from the coffers of the Lagos state government since 2002.

The former MD also alleged that Tinubu demanded that a 70 percent equity interest be assigned to Olumide Ogunmola and Adegboyega Oyetola, two people said to be his associates.

Oyetola, Tinubu’s nephew, is the incumbent governor of Osun state.

Apara claimed his proposal led to the establishment of the company during the period Tinubu was governor of Lagos.

Speaking with PUNCH on Tuesday, Ipadeola said they would have to re-file their case again, adding that the registry has now been moved to Ikeja.

“Everything in Igbosere high court got burnt including the registrar’s copy of our application,” the lawyer said.

“In fact, the whole building was burnt to ashes. So, we will have to file again. The registry has been moved to Ikeja.

“We may have to file the case afresh at the Ikeja high court but we have not yet been instructed to do so.”

Alpha Beta has since dismissed the claims of Apara, saying its former managing director was removed because he committed crimes.

- THECABLE

Lekki shooting: Army lied against Sanwo-Olu – Nnamdi Kanu

 

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Wednesday faulted claims by the Army that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State invited them to Lekki toll gate, amid the End SARS protest.

Kanu claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the soldiers to kill the protesters not Sanwo-Olu.

Recall that gunmen in military uniform had last week Tuesday stormed the Lekki toll gate and shot at peaceful protesters.

The gunmen had killed some of the protesters during the crisis.

But, following the backlash, the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army had admitted that it’s soldiers were present at the scene of the protest but did not kill anybody.

The division also disclosed that they stormed Lekki toll gate on the order of Sanwo-Olu.

However, the IPOB leader described the Army’s claim as false.

- DAILY POST