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Oct 1 protests: Lagos govt insists on two designated venues

Published

5 days ago

September 30, 2024

Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola

Oct 1 protests: Lagos govt insists on two designated venues

The Lagos State Government has advised organisers of the October 1 protest not to disrupt the social and economic activities in the state during their protest saying that the directives of the governor of the State to the Commissioner of Police of Lagos State for maintenance and securing of public safety and public order during the protest stands

The state government also said that a Lagos High Court order which restricted the protest to Freedom and Peace Parks in the Ojota and Ketu areas of the state is still binding.

Recall that the organisers of the October 1 protest at a press briefing last Thursday had stated that the protest in Lagos will commence at Ikeja under bridge at 7:30am, with participants marching through various streets to raise awareness on what they described as ‘anti poor policies’ of the federal government.

They also requested the Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, to provide adequate security for all protesters in line with the Police Establishment Act 2020.

Responding to questions by some journalists on the issue on Sunday, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro, SAN, noted that the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu is not opposed to any group of residents expressing their view about any government by way of public protest, but that such expression must be done within the confines of the law.

Pedro stated that a Lagos High Court had restricted the protest in the state to Freedom and Peace Parks in the state and urged the protesters to respect the court order by confining themselves to the two venues.

He said: “We have and shall continue to engage the civil societies and NGOs in Lagos who are genuinely interested in the development of Lagos State to explain and enlighten them that the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu is not opposed to any group of residents to express their view about any government by way of public protest as it is their fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria 1999.

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“However the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, association and assembly is not absolute and by virtue of section 45, section 215 (4) of the Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) and section 4 & 10(2) of the Police Act, it is lawful for the Governor of Lagos State or the Attorney General of Lagos on his behalf to give the Commissioner of Police of Lagos State directive for maintenance and securing of public safety and public order that may impact on the exercise of these fundamental rights.”

Pedro insisted that the state government would not permit any street protest that can be hijacked by criminal elements whose agenda is destruction of government or other residents’ properties.

“In that respect we advise that the organisers should utilise the designated venues in the State for public protest to wit; Freedom Park and Peace Park for adequate protection and coverage of the protest by members of the press,” he said.

Continuing, Pedro said; “It is the same set or group of people that organised the last protest that are planning the Oct 1st protest, so they should be guided by the interim preservative order of injunction of court restricting public protest in the State to designated venues for the purpose.

“More so a substantive action is pending in court against them wherein an order of Interlocutory and perpetual injunction are being sought to permanently restrict any person or group of persons that wish to organise public protest in Lagos State to do so at designated venues.

“It is settled principle of law that a defendant who is aware of a pending claim or application for injunction against him in a court of law, has an obligation to respect the court process and not engage in the same act sought to be restrained.

“Therefore whether the interim preservative order is subsisting or not, by the subsisting suit, it will be unlawful for any body, civil society or NGO in Lagos to convene any public protest outside the designated venue.

“They should use the designated venues for their protest so that adequate security protection and traffic management can be provided for them to exercise their recognised fundamental right to freedom of speech, association and assembly without fear of the protest being hijacked and turned violence as experienced during the #EndSARS protest.

“The last End bad governance protest in Lagos was violence-free and successful because it was held in designated venues for public protest in the State.

“I believe that if the real intention and plans of the organisers of the protest is to air their views and resentment against government policies and hunger in the land, making use of the designated venue will not be prejudicial to them unless of course they have a different and hidden agenda.

“I would also advise a rethink of the idea of taking over the streets of Lagos for the purpose of the protest bearing in mind that the fundamental rights of other people not interested in the protest should not be infringed upon and that the properties or businesses of other people may be destroyed if the protest is hijacked on the streets.”

Oct 1 protests: Lagos govt insists on two designated venues

Related Topics:designated venues Featured protests

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$13m fraud: FBI seeks EFCC help to arrest Nigerian suspects

Published

12 hours ago

October 4, 2024

Trends Admin

$13m fraud: FBI seeks EFCC help to arrest Nigerian suspects

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been tasked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States of America to locate and apprehend two Nigerians, Babatunde Shodiya and Yinka Jamiu, who were listed as wanted for allegedly using a fraudulent website to extort American medical facilities in Minnesota of $13m.

A grand jury in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota arraigned them on September 25 for their involvement in a fraud conspiracy that deceived many healthcare providers between October 2020 and 2024.

According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, Shodiya and Jamiu allegedly used falsified websites and email addresses to manipulate payment transfers on Optum Pay, a popular payment system among Minnesota’s healthcare providers under the guise of being owned by Fairview Health.

Using these fictitious email addresses, the fraud team sent emails to Fairview Health staff, deceiving them into supplying login information.

They created a counterfeit website, fairviewhospitals.org, and pretended to be key hospital personnel, including the CEO, executive vice president, and a business analyst.

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In addition to the wire fraud allegations, Shodiya is charged with aggravated identity theft for pretending to be Fairview executives.

Luger said, “As part of the scheme, Babatunde and Jamiu created a fake ‘spoofed’ internet domain designed to appear as though it was controlled by Fairview Health.”

“In total, Babatunde and Ahmed fraudulently directed more than $13m in payments intended for Fairview Health from Minnesota-based healthcare companies to accounts controlled by Babatunde, Ahmed, and their co-conspirators.”

However, the U.S. security agency has confirmed that the suspects are Nigerian citizens who also reside in Nigeria and have called on Nigeria’s EFCC to seek their assistance.

“The U.S. officials reached out to us and informed us that the suspects are believed to be hiding in Nigeria

“We have a duty to honour this request in line with our long-standing collaboration with the U.S. in addressing cross-border crimes,” an EFCC officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, said.

Once the EFCC successfully hunts down Mr Shodiya and Mr Jamiu, they will be taken to the U.S. to face trial while also compromising all assets linked to the profits of the crime to the American authorities.

$13m fraud: FBI seeks EFCC help to arrest Nigerian suspects

metro

Horror as man stabs father to death in Lagos

Published

12 hours ago

October 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Horror as man stabs father to death in Lagos

A 25-year-old man, Chibunnma Chimelie, has been taken into custody by the Lagos State Police for allegedly stabbing his 68-year-old father to death.

The tragic incident took place on Thursday at around 10:00 p.m. in the Isolo area of Lagos, according to the state’s police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the report.

Hundeyin shared that the incident was brought to light when the suspect’s brother filed a complaint at the Aswani Police Divisional Station.

“The complainant stated that he received a call from a neighbour, informing him that his father was having a serious altercation with the suspect, who also lived in the same house,” said Hundeyin.

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Upon arriving at the scene, the complainant found his father lying in a pool of blood, unresponsive.

The police swiftly responded to the situation and arrested the suspect at the scene. Investigators found a blood-stained knife near the body, which has been taken as evidence.

“A team of investigators arrived at the location, documented the scene, and transported the victim to General Hospital, Isolo, where doctors later confirmed his death,” Hundeyin explained.

The victim’s body has since been taken to the General Hospital Mortuary, while the suspect has reportedly confessed to the crime. Authorities are continuing their investigation to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.

Horror as man stabs father to death in Lagos

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Amotekun foils 5 kidnap attempts in Ondo, rescues 9 victims

Published

12 hours ago

October 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Ondo State Commander of Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye

Amotekun foils 5 kidnap attempts in Ondo, rescues 9 victims

Operatives of Amotekun have foiled five kidnap attempts and rescued nine kidnap victims across the state within one week. Mr Adetunji Adeleye, state Commander of Amotekun Corps, made the disclosure on Friday in Akure while parading 20 suspected criminals arrested for crimes like cultism, house breaking, motorcycle theft, among others.

Adeleye, who said that the arrests were made within a week under review through the Amotekun Rangers, reiterated the corps commitment to ensuring the safety and security of residents in the state.

He said that the Amotekun rangers had been active in combing the forests across Ondo state, particularly in known flashpoints, to keep kidnappers at bay.

According to the commander, the suspected kidnapper, 28-year-old Usman Abubakar, who was arrested in Igbo Oba, Owo, confirmed collecting N2 million from a victim.

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“Abubakar told us how they shared the N2 million, and he also told us how to get to the root of their godfathers.

“The Amotekun Rangers launched by Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State had, recently, penetrated the forest substantially within the week under review.

“We were able to resist five kidnapping attempts and we were also able to rescue nine victims. That is to say that the kidnap attempts failed.

“Moreover, the notorious portion of Elegbeka area has been bombarded, and we are glad to say that the Amotekun Rangers had infiltrated the entire forest to guarantee safety of commuters,” he said.

Adeleye, therefore, reassured the public that the rangers would continue to infiltrate the entire forest to ensure the safety of commuters and safeguard lives and properties.