metro
Pardon all thieves in Prison, Falana knocks Buhari over Dariye, Nyame
Human rights activist and lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, has faulted the state pardon granted to former Governors of Plateau and Taraba, Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame respectively.
The former governors, who were jailed for corruption, were pardoned alongside 157 others at the Council of State meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.
Speaking during the one year remembrance programme for the late Publicity Secretary of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Yinka Odumakin, Falana described the release of the politicians as discriminatory.
Falana stressed that it was wrong to grant state pardon to the two of them who were convicted for stealing state funds.
He said under the 1999 constitution, there is equality for all citizens, adding that the state pardon has to be extended to all thieves and criminals serving jail terms in various prisons.
Falana said, “My reaction is that all criminals, all thieves and criminals in our prisons should be released.
“Because section 17 of the constitution says there shall be equality, equal rights for all citizens and section 42 said there shall be no discrimination on the basis of class, gender, whatever, so you can’t take out two people and leave the rest there. It’s illegal.”
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He said he might be forced to ask lawyers whose clients are still in prison to go to court and challenge the discriminatory treatment.
At the event attended by prominent personalities including the leader of the Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Presiding Pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), Pastor Tunde Bakare, among others, the pro-Democracy activists reiterated their call for genuine restructuring, saying the struggle for restructuring is a struggle for freedom.
Falana suggested that the 1999 constitution should be referred to as decree 24 on 1999 as “it was not duly signed.”
He said: “What the National Assembly has continued to do is to amend illegality. The so-called 1999 constitution is really decree 24 of 1999. When you see the so-called constitution, you will not the signature of the man who signed the law, that’s the fraud.
“When you see a law, the name of the person who signed it should be there with the date.
“Decree 24 of 1999 was promulgated by General Abdulsalam Abubakar on the 5th of May 1999 but today you will not see his name on it. It’s a fraudulent document.
“The decree was imposed on us the last set of military dictators in Nigeria headed by Gen. Abubakar and because that document is okay for members of the ruling class regardless of their political parties, ethic regional or religious inclination, they are all comfortable with the document so they can’t do anything about it including all those we are campaigning today to be President.
“It is to retain the status quo and perhaps adjust it here and there, that is the only thing they are saying, so those who are contesting particularly on the platform of the ruling party are saying we are going to continue the programme of the Buhari administration that has put our country in problem.
“Nigeria has become a huge joke in the committee of nations and so for any set of people to say they want to package his rickety vehicle and begin to panel beat it, it’s not going to move.”
DAILY POST
metro
Missing Delta varsity female student found dead, two suspects arrested
Missing Delta varsity female student found dead, two suspects arrested
Two suspects are in the custody of the Edo State Police Command in connection with the disappearance and death of a 200-level undergraduate of Delta State University of Science and Technology, Agbor, Miss Faith Omodon.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the inhabitants of Iru Egbede community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State had, on March 30, reported the sudden disappearance of their daughter who was studying Business Administration at DELSU.
The father of the missing girl, Edward Omodon, had told our correspondent that his daughter was last seen on March 30, after she left home for the farm on a motorcycle. He said the incident occurred when the community was holding their national conference.
“We usually have the Iru National Conference at this time of the year. We were seated inside the community hall when we heard loud wailing outside that my daughter was missing. She had left for the farm earlier that morning with a motorcycle, taking her breakfast in a flask with her,” he said.
However, our correspondent gathered on Sunday that the community’s vigilante group arrested and handed over two suspects in connection with the disappearance.
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Speaking with PUNCH Metro on the incident, on Sunday, the National Youth Chairman of Iru- Egbede, Donald Isioma, disclosed that the suspects were arrested on Saturday afternoon.
He said the two were arrested when the phone of the deceased was tracked and traced to the suspects.
Isioma added, “The police have recovered the phone from the suspects and the motorbike Omodon rode to the farm on the day she went missing.
“One of the suspects who is a member of the community has confessed that they had killed the girl while being interrogated at the Okpaihe Police Station before the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Benin.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said information concerning the arrest had yet to reach him but promised to get back as soon as he contacted men of the SCID. He had yet to do that as of the time of filing this report on Sunday evening.
Missing Delta varsity female student found dead, two suspects arrested
metro
NAF airstrikes kill scores of terrorists in Borno, Niger enclaves
NAF airstrikes kill scores of terrorists in Borno, Niger enclaves
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Sunday said the air components of Operations Hadin Kai and Whirl Punch in the North East and North Central killed many terrorists in airstrikes in Borno and Niger.
The Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet, disclosed this in a statement.
Gabkwet said the air components had continued to obliterate terrorists and destroy their structures, equipment and mobility, thereby limiting their ability to attack ground troops and innocent Nigerians at will.
He said that in the North East, the air interdiction was on May 3 authorized and conducted over Chinene, a location tucked inside the Mandara Mountain.
He said terrorists had been observed to be emanating from various locations and assembling ostensibly for a meeting.
According to him, seven gun trucks were also observed parked under trees within the same location.
Gabkwet said the aircraft bombarded the assembly area and tree coverings and destroyed their weapons and mobility.
He said that the Battle Damage Assessment revealed that the strikes were successful as several terrorists were neutralised and logistics destroyed.
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He said similar airstrikes were conducted same day by the air component of Operation Whirl Punch in a pre-emptive air strikes over terrorists hibernating at Allawa village, near Shiroro town in Niger.
The NAF spokesman said the mission was conducted following credible intelligence which revealed the migration of terrorists into the village after the mass exit of locals for fear of their safety.
He said the terrorists had, on May 1, stormed the deserted Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area and torched the Central Primary School.
“In the evening of the same day, another group of terrorists also arrived at the location, wielding AK-47/49 rifles after invading Galapai village in Galadima Kogo District of Shiroro.
“Accordingly, to prevent further occupation as well as pursue the terrorists from the location, the air component scrambled a formation of its platforms to attack the location.
“On arrival at the location, several terrorists were sighted and engaged effectively.
“Furthermore, following credible intelligence as well as detailed aerial observation, which confirmed the presence of their cache of arms hidden inside Allawa Forest, the air component further carried out air strikes at the location,” he said.
Gabkwet also said that the NAF carried out air strikes North of Arugbana and Temakiri in the Niger Delta, where illegal refining sites were observed and destroyed.
He said through this action, the capabilities of oil thieves to continually sabotage and destroy oil pipelines were minimised.
NAF airstrikes kill scores of terrorists in Borno, Niger enclaves
(NAN)
metro
Why five Ondo kidnappers slept off after abducting pastor’s wife – Police
Why five Ondo kidnappers slept off after abducting pastor’s wife – Police
Akure —Police detectives have arrested five suspected kidnappers, who slept off after abducting a pastor’s wife and two other persons.
The suspects reportedly slept off after taking hard drugs. Vanguard gathered that the three victims escaped after their abductors slept off.
The suspects include Garuba Mumuni, 27; Yusuf Tale, 21; Kabiru Muhammed, 16, Shaibu Umar and Adamu Mohammed, 22.
Police source said the suspects were arrested by men of the Ofosu Division after the victims identified one of them.
According to the police, “A case of kidnapping was reported at Ofosu Division, that a pastor’s wife and a member were kidnapped in the church while the third victim was kidnapped while picking snails on the farm.
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“The victims, however, escaped from their assailants at different dates after they had taken hard drugs and slept off.
“Through intelligence, on May 1, 2024, five among the six kidnappers were arrested by men of Ofosu division and have been identified by the victims as part of the gang that abducted them.
The state Police Commissioner, Abayomi Oladipo, said the suspects would soon be charged to court.
Oladipo added that one Adetokunbo Adesina, who claimed to have been hired to kill over 500 persons, was also arrested after his last victim paid him N110,000.
Why five Ondo kidnappers slept off after abducting pastor’s wife – Police
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