Lagos to experience morning, afternoon thunderstorms for 3 days
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Police arrest Mr Macaroni, nine others at Lekki tollgate protest
- #DefendLagos group suspends protest
Popular comedian Debo Adebayo, also known as Mr Macaroni, and nine others have been arrested at the Lekki tollgate as they joined other protesters on Saturday to express their dissatisfaction with the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry allowing the Lekki Concession Company to reopen the toll plaza on Saturday.
Their arrest came as #DefendLagos group announced the suspension of its Lekki counter protest also planned for Saturday at the same venue.
Earlier in the week, some youths had taken to Twitter to call for a protest against the reopening of the Lekki tollgate.
Adebayo was arrested with nine other protesters after the police had told him “we don’t want you here”.
In a live Instagram post before his phone and those of other arrested protesters were seized, the comedian lamented that “Lekki is under military rule.”
He said, “How did you think the reopening of tollgate is the next line of action? If you didn’t do that today, we won’t have a right to be here.
“It is a disrespect to say that you want to reopen at this tollgate. Are you spitting on the graves of the dead?
“Na military regime we dey? We also have a right to be heard. We have a right to protest peacefully.”
One of the coordinators of #OccupyLekkiTollgate, Kunle Ajayi, confirmed the arrest of 10 protesters at the tollgate on Saturday.
“Police have just arrested 10 protesters – Four ladies and six guys. They were beaten mercilessly and injured,” he said.
Meanwhile, Alabi Oladimeji, convener of #DefendLagos, has withdrawn from the proposed Lekki protest.
The group was formed as a counter against #OccupyLekkiTollGate rally on Saturday.
In a virtual press conference, Oladimeji said his group withdrew from the counter protest owing to assurances by the government that no protest will take place at the tollgate.
He said his group will embark on a huge protest if the government allows the #OccupyLekkiTollgate group to hold their protest.
“No protest from #DefendLagos on Saturday. We are simultaneously respecting the state and federal governments,” Oladimeji said.
“I am proud to announce that for the meantime, we will be pending this protest due to the law of the federal and state governments. We are law-abiding and good citizens, definitely, we should not be the ones seen disobeying any law.
“In respect of the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I am now announcing that anyone involved in #DefendLagos initiated by me should with immediate effect pend the protest. We are not going to hold any protest again on Saturday.
“If Lagos and FG fail us, we will come out huge and protest on Monday. It is depressing news for me because we have invested personal resources to produce banners, posters among others on this. But this is not an avenue for us to make money like those in the Occupy Lagos.
“If they come out to protest and the government allows that, it means that we can also protest. We trust the government. The state and FG have banned any protests in Lagos. If they come out and the government did not arrest them, it means that the government has failed us.”
Operations at the toll plaza have been suspended since October 2020 following the shooting at the tollgate. Soldiers shot at activists who had gathered there to demonstrate against police brutality under the #EndSARS campaign.
On February 6, five of the nine-member panel voted to return the control of the tollgate to the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), saying a forensic analysis on the venue of the shooting had been carried out, and there was no need to keep the place closed to business operations.
The panel’s decision generated reactions on social media — with many criticising the move.
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Nigerian varsity VC suspended over alleged gross misconduct
Nigerian varsity VC suspended over alleged gross misconduct
In an unexpected turn of events, the Governing Council of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) has suspended Vice-Chancellor Augustine Angba on allegations of severe misconduct.
The decision was reached at a meeting of the Governing Council on Monday, May 6, 2024, where they resolved to release Angba of his duties with immediate effect.
The council has nominated Professor Stephen Oshang of the Faculty of Agriculture to serve as the interim Vice-Chancellor until further notice.
UNICROSS
The suspension comes on the heels of a vote-of-no-confidence passed by some staff members of the university on January 17, 2024.
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The staff, who were protesting the non-payment of five months’ salary arrears, had carried placards with slogans like “This Management and the VC must go” and “We don’t want them any longer.”
Angba had previously criticized the staff unions, claiming that four members had hijacked the union and incited others to protest on the streets.
However, the Governing Council’s decision suggests that they found merit in the allegations against the embattled Vice-Chancellor.
Despite several attempts, Vanguard efforts to reach the university’s spokesperson, Mr. Onen Onen, for comments on the matter were unsuccessful, as his phone line was not answered at the time of filing this report.
Similarly, Professor Angba’s phone line was busy when contacted.
Nigerian varsity VC suspended over alleged gross misconduct
(Vanguard)
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Lagos to experience morning, afternoon thunderstorms for 3 days
NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja forecasts sunny and hazy conditions on Monday over parts of Yobe, Jigawa, Kano and Katsina states throughout the forecast period with chances of morning thunderstorms over parts of Taraba state.
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Your position on state police unacceptable, Lagos Assembly tells IGP
Your position on state police unacceptable, Lagos Assembly tells IGP
The Lagos State House of Assembly has kicked against the position of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Olukayode Egbetokun, that Nigeria is not ripe for the establishment of state police.
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, directed the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to write the Inspector-General and the National Assembly stating that the state lawmakers reject Egbetokun’s position.
Recall that the IGP, represented at a recently held one-day dialogue on state policing, themed, ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria,’ opposed the establishment of state police, arguing that it would increase ethnic tension and cause divided loyalty in states of the federation.
The IGP also suggested that the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps be merged with the police force.
However, speaking at plenary on Monday, Obasa, who noted that the FRSC and the NSCDC have not been able to solve the problems of accidents on roads and pipeline vandalism respectively, wondered how effective they would be if they are merged with the police force.
“In Lagos State, we have the Security Trust Fund through which successive administrations starting from that of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu have provided enormous support to the police command in Lagos State. Yet, crime of different dimensions has continued.
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“This shows that no matter what Egbetokun has proffered as solution, such won’t solve our problem. The position of the IGP is unacceptable.
“We strongly believe that if we have state police, we would be able to solve the issues of crime in our nation or reduce it to the minimum.
“As we have seen in other climes, the United Kingdom has different levels of policing just like the United States of America. So why should ours be different?
“The lives of our people are very important and we must do everything possible to make sure we protect lives and property. We want to state categorically that we believe in state police and we want to urge the National Assembly to continue with its intendment to establish state police through the process of constitutional amendment,” Obasa said while praising President Tinubu for his resolve to end insecurity in the country.
Commending the Speaker for his stand on the issue of state police, the lawmaker representing Badagry Constituency 1, argued that with its current structure, it would be difficult for the Nigeria Police Force to effectively secure the country.
Also declaring his support for state police, another lawmaker, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh (Ajeromi/Ifelodun 1), said each Nigerian state currently has a local security outfit in the semblance of state police.
“Today, which state does not have state police one way or the other? This is a cause that should be supported. For the IG to come out and say state police is not in the interest of Nigeria shows he is not considering the reality of insecurity on Nigerians,” he said.
Your position on state police unacceptable, Lagos Assembly tells IGP
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