Man, 70, Arrested For Abducting Woman For 28 Years

Man, 70, Arrested For Abducting Woman For 28 Years

A 70-year-old man, Alhaji Aliyu Onmaya, has been apprehended by Benue State Police Command for allegedly abducting a Cameroonian woman, Martha Eyom, for 28 years.

The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspect, yesterday, in Makurdi, alleged that he abducted his victim in 1990, explaining that his arrest was effected in Makurdi after a tip-off by the victim and her father.

“We arrested him when the father of his victim alerted us, this was after the woman had escaped from the suspect’s home,” Owoseni said.

Narrating her ordeal, the victim said, “It all happened 28 years ago when my friends and I came from Cameroon to write JAMB examination in Calabar.

“My abductor saw us and chatted with us after which he waved an handkerchief on my face. At that point, I lost my memory and did not know anything about myself”, she said.

“I’ve been living with him since then and we have two children, one of them is in the university now.

“The last place we lived was Otukpo. A young man helped me and a pastor who prayed and set me free from the spell that was on me.

“With the help of the young man, who is from Nigeria but plays football in Cameroon, I was able to traced my place and returned home 28 years after he mysteriously took me away.”

The father of the victim, Michael Eyong, who was with her at the police headquarters in Makurdi, said he accompanied his daughter back to Benue to seek justice.

“We are from Mamfe in Cameroon. The man kidnapped my daughter for 28years and, within this period of her disappearance, I lived in pains because she is my first child.

“My 16-year-old little daughter returned home a week ago as a 44-year-old woman, looking even older than her age. I thank God for answering my prayer.

“We were able to arrest his alleged abductor with the help of Benue State Police Commissioner. All I am asking for at the moment is justice. He should be made to face the wrath of the law for what he did to my daughter and my family”.

Lagos Set To Enforce Stage Carriage Permit Law NEWS

Lagos Set To Enforce Stage Carriage Permit Law NEWS

Lagos State Government yesterday said it is set to commence enforcement of the Stage Carriage Permit law to put an end to the continuous use of Lagos State roads and infrastructure by vehicle owners that have not obtained the stage Carriage Permit as stipulated by the State’s Road Traffic Law.

The Law which is a provision of the Road Traffic Law, mandates operators of any motor vehicle designed for the carriage of goods or passengers to obtain the permit.

According to a statement issued by the State’s Ministry of Transportation obtaining the permit will enable it to develop a robust data base of all vehicles that falls within the category for safety, security and raising the general public’s confidence in government policies.

The Ministry therefore enjoined those concerned to obtain the document as defaulters will henceforth be subjected to the provision of the relevant sections of State Road Traffic Law which stipulated penalty for such default.

The Ministry in the statement signed by Public Relations Officer of the Ministry Mr. Olatunji Aribisala recalled that various engagements and advocacy meeting had been held to sensitize those concerned to government intentions and plans.

The Ministry therefore reiterated that the provisions of the Law that regulate commercial passenger vehicle operators activities which are designed to ensure safety, security, and reliability in that in that sector are still relevant and will be enforced.

The government noted that those who operate taxi schemes, in various forms as well as those on technology platforms that provide linkages between operators and passengers are operating without recourse to the Law.

Buhari has bungled anti-graft war – Kwara Speaker

Buhari has bungled anti-graft war – Kwara Speaker

The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad, on Tuesday accused the Federal Government of failing to show the required immediate response after the armed robbery attacks about some banks in Offa in the Offa Local Government Area of the state.

Ahmad, a close ally of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, also said President Muhammadu Buhari had bungled the anti -corruption war.

The robbery led to the loss of many lives, money and other valuables.

He said the robbery lent credence to the doubt expressed by some citizens about Buhari’s ability to take actions that would unite and secure the country.

He said, “That one (inaction) is reflected in Offa when the incident happened. We were all saddened and grieving, looking for fatherly words to placate our grief. Those words never came until three days after.

“The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, even cut short his journey to come; but the Federal Government that is in control of security apparatus, which lost policemen, if civilians are not worth anything to them, did not act on time.

“I will score the APC or whoever that is at the Federal Government very low. I am in Kwara and if this thing happened and the person that is in control of security did not do anything until 72 hours later, it is an after- thought. I am disappointed. And if you ask me to go with whoever that is, I will think twice.”

He also accused Buhari of failing in his avowed anti-corruption campaign, arguing that it was wrong for Buhari to have made anti-graft war the priority of his government’s programme considering the slow dispensation of justice in Nigeria.

Ahmad, who expressed his views during an interview with journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, said, “The best person that Nigeria has ever had to fight corruption since independence is Buhari but he bungled it . He did ! And I cannot see him correcting this.

“I delivered a lecture at the Nigeria Union of Journalists event in Ibadan when this government was less than six months. I told them, you cannot fight corruption in Nigeria the way the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or the Federal Government was fighting it. From day one , you know that our court system is slow; the Administration of Criminal Justice has reduced it by 40 or 50 per cent but it is still slow.

“You have only four years, how can you place your number one priority on a platform that you know is beyond your control, the judiciary? You cannot fight corruption with the judiciary alone , you cannot.”

He noted that there were many anti- graft strategies that should have been adopted, adding that the court should have been the last resort.

He urged the Federal Government to make Nigerians embrace the anti-graft war by exposing corrupt people and strengthening anti-graft institutions.

He said, “We have told him (Buhari) that he should strengthen the state and federal lawmakers . Get the buy-in of Nigerians, which is zero at the moment. Nobody believes you are fighting corruption; when you place that priority on the door of the judiciary and after three years, you tell me that the judiciary is the stumbling block; we warned you that you cannot fight corruption in four years through the judiciary, you cannot. 

The speaker also said it was prejudicial for the Federal Government to mention the names of the people being prosecuted in court for allegedly looting the treasury.

Ahmad said, “Whoever is preparing that list is taking Nigerians for a ride. If you tell them that it (the list) is one - sided, they will mention some APC members that are on the list but if you look critically, you will see that those APC members are those that are not in agreement with them. So, it does not still answer the question that you are putting only the opposition in the list.”

Buhari Declares For Second Term

Buhari Declares For Second Term

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday told the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he will be seeking the party nomination to fly the party flag in the 2019 presidential election.

The party NEC also approved waiver for members of the National Working Committee and other leaders across all levels wishing to contest party offices as part of soft landing measure for those willing to contest.

Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong who briefed the media at the end of the party’s shortest NEC meeting ever that the President informed the meeting that in view of the resolution of the tenure elongation issue and the adoption of the report of the Technical Committee, he will be seeking nomination for re-election.

The NEC meeting which started with the arrival of the President at about 11.02 and the introduction of members present ended at about 11.55 am when the President departed the APC national secretariat.
Lalong said the NEC meeting also approved a waiver for members of the leadership from the ward level to the national level to contest in line with the recommendation of the technical committee report.

Lalong who addressed the media alongside the National Publicity Secretary said the recommendation of the technical committee was unanimously adopted by the meeting.

Lalong said “We were given a task to work within a short time. Within that time, we considered those who were for and against. We looked at the issue extensively and did wilder consultations and arrived at a point where we considered not only the legal point, but also the political options available.

“That is why we came to the point that, if we are going to conduct that election within the time available, then the concern shown by other members on the issue of disenfranchisement and allowing others to contest was very genuine. We also considered the opinion of the President and we arrived at the point that it is constitutionally valid to conduct congresses.

“We also decided that if, in conducting the elections, certain conditions are not going to be fulfilled, it means that some people will be disenfranchised. We spoke about the 21 days’ notice and the fulfillment of article 31.

“If we are going to comply with this, the constitution require that certain weavers should be granted to those who are crying that they will be disenfranchised. We came to the conclusion that if these provisions are taken care of, then there was no need for anybody to say there should be no congress.

“Our conclusion is that we must conduct congresses. We looked at the second aspect of the legality of the action and we said that in every constitution and the election of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, we are not saints, we are not angels.

“It is assumed that in the course of doing things, there may be unforeseen circumstances that will stop you or you reached a brick wall and therefore fail to conclude the exercise. That was the option that was made by the party, in creating an opportunity for there to be an option for you when you get that brickwall. So, we married the two position.

“So, conducting the congresses will also create an opportunity for even those who are not yet members of the party or who have come to the party, but not yet registered because the constitution provide that you must be a registered member of the party and that for you to vote and be noted for, you must be a card carrying member.

There was also the issue of reconciliation.

“With this, the constitutional notices are being provided and we will work within this short period. That is why we concluded that everybody be carried along and everybody’s interest protected in this report. It was a unanimous decision to adopt the recommendations that was made to a point that the President felt so happy and excited and said that because of this reunion and unity in the party, he will now consider and also accept the appeal by several members of the society and the party that he recontest and he accepted to recontest. So, he is going to recontest for the position of the President of the federal republic of Nigeria.”

Article 31 1 (Iii) of the APC constitution states that “Any Party office holder interested in contesting for an elective office (whether party office or office in a general election) shall resign and leave office 30 days prior to the date of nomination or Party primary for the Office he or she is seeking to contest”, while article 31(2) states that “Subject to the approval of the National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee may in special circumstances grant a waiver to a person not otherwise qualified under Article 31(1) of this Constitution if, in its opinion, such a waiver is in the best interest of the Party.”

Also speaking, National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said members were leaving the meeting with smiles because it has been a win win situation for all members of the party, adding that those who thought the party will start breaking up after the NEC meeting were disappointed.

Abdullahi said “This is the shortest NEC meeting that we have had. This is because the challenge before us has been clear all along and that what we want is a win win situation for all and that is the work that the committee had done, to find a mid-course that will take care of the interest of everyone.

“Those who have been clamouring that we must have congresses and that who were afraid that if we have congresses, they will be swept away. The committee recommendation has taken care of both; that you must do congresses and that the requirement of the law that you must resign 30 days before you can contest will have to be waived.

“In essence, you don’t have to resign before you can contest. That way, the matter has been resolved and as far as APC is concerned, the storm that everyone was expecting to happen did not happen and the collapse that people were expecting to start from this NEC meeting today did not happen.

“So we are leaving the NEC meeting reunited and strong family of progressive politics in Nigeria. We are also happy and you can see that our countenance has changed and we are happy that Mr. President has accepted and has announced his wish to recontest in 2019.”

Governors present include Ibikunle Amosu (Ogun), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Jubrilla Bindo (Adamawa), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Deputy Governor of Edo state, Phillip Shuaibu, Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, House leader, Femi Gbajabiamila among others.

Muslim lawyers reject new FCT court dress code

Muslim lawyers reject new FCT court dress code

The Muslim Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria has rejected the new directive given by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on how lawyers should dress.

According to MULAN, the FCT High Court had in a press release on March 28, 2018 “prohibited the use of any apparel underneath wigs by lawyers and by extension the hijab by female Muslim lawyers.”

But in a communiqué generated at the end of its National Executive Committee meeting in Benin, Edo State, on April 3, 2018, MULAN rejected the directive, describing it as “unfortunate, draconian, illegal, unconstitutional and unlawful.”

In the said communiqués signed by its President, Dr. Kamal Dawud, the body contended that the directive by the FCT High Court was at variance with Section 38 of the constitution, which guarantees citizens’ right to manifest their religion.

It added that the court’s decision was “contrary to the 2004 resolution of the Body of Benchers which allows female Law School students and legal practitioners to use head cover underneath their wigs.”

“MULAN NEC condemns the directive in the press release in the strongest term and urges the FCT High Court to reverse its decision contained in the press release forthwith, ”the communiqué said.

The body of Muslim lawyers described as needless the furor generated in the legal circles over the case of Firdausa Al-Jannah Amasa, who was barred from the call to Bar ceremony for wearing hijab.

It insisted that there was no law prohibiting the use of hijab, adding that Section 38 of the constitution, which guarantees the right of individuals to manifest their religious beliefs, had “enjoyed several judicial interpretations by superior courts to the effect that this right is inalienable provided it does not go against public interest.”

“The use of Hijab in public institutions, in particular, has enjoyed affirmative judicial interpretation. For this reason, MULAN NEC wonders why this issue is generating this avoidable furor especially in the echelon of justice,” it said.

The body of Muslim lawyers, however, said it had finally resolved “to design a hijab-compliant collaret with bib for use by Muslim female legal practitioners so as to conform to the tradition of the legal profession in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the body said it had yet to endorse any presidential candidate for the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association national election.

Fed Govt to deregister NGOs over terrorism, money laundering

Fed Govt to deregister NGOs over terrorism, money laundering

The Federal Government has begun the profiling of Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs) with the intention of deregistering those involved in questionable activities.

It was learnt that the measure was aimed at curbing money laundering and terrorist financing,
The profiling activities presently being carried out by the Special Control Unit on Money Laundering (SCUML), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) is in compliance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendation.

The FATF recommendation requires countries to adopt necessary measures to prevent the use of NGOs for nefarious activities.

NFIU’s Director Francis Usani, who broke the news in Abuja yesterday, said the need to profile and review activities of NGOs were informed by the realisation that the groups have become “veritable tools to launder money and finance terrorism”.

Usani said the government was also exploring other options, including sensitising NGOs on their obligations to ensure they do not unwittingly yield themselves to terrorists and other criminals.

The NFIU Director spoke at a “regional workshop on the development of effective frameworks and structure to fight terrorist financing/money laundering through non-profit organisations (NPOs)”.

It was organised by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).

“It is obvious that Designated Non-Financial Business or Profession (DNFBP) and particularly NPOs pose a major challenge in our respective Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) culture, and this challenge has been identified in our various national risk assessments.

“There are case studies in Nigeria and in the West African sub-region and globally too, where NPOs have been used as veritable tools to launder money and finance terrorism,” Usani said.

He added that the realisation of this fact informed why FATF, under its Recommendation 8, directed that countries should review the adequacy of laws and regulations that relate to NPOs/NGOs that could be abused for the financing of terrorism.

GIABA’s Director General Kimelabalou Aba said the workshop was to educate players in the NPOs and a measure to protect NPOs against abuses because their extended logistical networks, large transitory workforces, cash-intensive nature of operations now make them highly vulnerable to terrorist financing.

Mrs. Stella Maduka of the Federal Ministry of Finance blamed the growing unemployment rate globally for the increasing in terrorist activities.

Facebook says data leak hits 87m users, widening privacy scandal

Facebook says data leak hits 87m users, widening privacy scandal

Facebook Inc (FB.O) said on Wednesday that the personal information of up to 87 million users may have been improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

This number is up from a previous news media estimate of more than 50 million.

Most of the 87 million people whose data was shared with Cambridge Analytica, were in the United States, Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer wrote in a blog post.

Cambridge Analytica worked on U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Facebook said it was taking steps to restrict the personal data available to third-party app developers.

The world’s largest-social-media company has been hammered by investors and faces anger from users, advertisers and lawmakers after a series of scandals about fake-news stories, election-meddling and privacy.
Last month, Facebook acknowledged that personal information about millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg will testify about the matter next week before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, the panel said on Wednesday.

Shares in Facebook were down 1.4 per cent on Wednesday to 153.90 dollars . They are down more than 16 percent since the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke.

The previous estimate of more than 50 million Facebook users affected by the data leak came from two newspapers, the New York Times and London’s Observer, based on their investigations of Cambridge Analytica.

Schroepfer did not provide details of how Facebook came to determine its higher estimate.

However, he said Facebook would tell people if their information may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

A representative from Cambridge Analytica could not immediately be reached for comment.

The British-based consultancy has denied wrongdoing.

It says it engaged a university professor “in good faith” to collect Facebook data in a manner similar to how other third-party app developers have harvested personal information.

The scandal has kicked off investigations by Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and by some 37 U.S. state attorneys general.