metro

Aminu said he was arrested, beaten on Aisha’s order –Uncle

Published

2 years ago

November 29, 2022

Aminu Adamu and Aisha Buhari

An undergraduate of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Aminu Adamu, has been languishing in detention after security officials comprising the police and men of the Department of State Service, arrested him over a post on Twitter alleging that the wife of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), Aisha, was feeding fat on poor people’s money.

Aminu’s uncle, Shehu Azare, in an interview published by BBC Hausa on Monday, said the victim’s father, Mallam Ádámù, was not aware of his arrest until about five days later.

Appealing to the First Lady to release Aminu, Azare said Aminu’s father was not aware of his son’s condition until one of his friends informed him.

The uncle said, “His father did not know about his arrest. It was five days later that one of Mallam Ádámù’s friends called and told him that his son had not been seen in school for about five days. That was last Monday.

“Then a day after, Aminu called his father and told him what was happening, that he was arrested and taken to Aso Rock by the wife of the President, Muhammad Buhari, beaten, scolded and was arrested somewhere.

“It was a security agent that gave him a phone and told him to tell his parents. Later on, Adamu explained more to me that the school authority called him and told him that it had no knowledge of the incident before, but now they have information on his arrest.”

READ ALSO:

Azare said Aminu was about to sit his final exams in school when his whereabouts became unknown, adding that the situation threw the family into confusion.

“We are in tension because you cannot stand your son disappearing like this. Same incident happened in so many places, some you don’t even hear about again. What we are saying is that let her not be offended, let her be patient and release him, because she is a mother, that is what we are hoping,” Azare told BBC Hausa.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the management of Aminu’s school confirmed his arrest on Monday, noting that the undergraduate was arrested during the break.

The spokesperson for the FUD, Abdullahi Bello, in a statement, said Aminu was trailed to Dutse where he was arrested.

“The university authorities have spoken to the parents who have already engaged the services of a lawyer to handle the matter and they are hopeful for an amicable resolution soon,” Bello added.

Contacted, the start Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Lawan Shiisu, said he was not aware of the arrest.

“We didn’t make the arrest. An arrest cannot be made in my area without me being informed,” Shiisu said.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the DSS, Peter Afunnaya, proved abortive as calls and a message sent to his phone were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

However, the Executive Director, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said Aminu’s arrest showed the level of rot in Nigeria’s security system.

He said, “It is a very sad development. Whether it was the DSS or police that arrested the guy, it shows that the government has continued to deploy security assets to chase after gossip. They go to websites and social media in search of those gossiping about the President, his wife and his children, to arrest them.”

On his part, the Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the arrest violated the right of the student.

He said, “RULAAC is following developments around the arrest and incommunicado detention of Aminu, for posting on Twitter that Mrs (Aisha) Buhari had suddenly added weight after taking part in plundering the nation’s meagre resources as the masses endured hardship under her husband’s regime.

RULAAC condemns the arrest and incommunicado detention of the citizen as being in violation of his democratic right to freedom of expression. If, however, the government believes that it has credible evidence against him to warrant his arrest, he should not be detained illegally. “

“He should have been charged to court before now. This is yet another evidence of an attack on civic freedom and the shrinking civic space. We call for his immediate release and remedies as prescribed by law for violations of civil liberties.”

At the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the spokesperson to the First Lady, Aliyu Abdullahi, failed as he did not respond to calls or a text message from one of our correspondents.

metro

Worry over cash scarcity in banks as farmers mop up naira

Published

3 mins ago

November 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Worry over cash scarcity in banks as farmers mop up naira

There is rising complaints by bank customers and Point of Sale (POS) operators in some states across the country over alleged cash squeeze just as citizens try to meet their increasing demands for notes especially as yuletide shopping begins.

The states where these concerns are being raised include Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Taraba, as well as some satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The scarcity, which has lasted over a week in the reported states, is coming amidst data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), revealing that the total currency in circulation has reached N4.14 trillion, with N3.87 trillion of this amount currently outside the banking system.

The recent CBN data indicates that 93.34 per cent of the nation’s currency is in the hands of individuals and businesses, while only 6.66 per cent remains within the banking sector.

The gap between currency outside banks and the total currency in circulation suggests that Nigerians, especially those living in the northern part of the country, still heavily rely on cash for daily transactions, despite the rise of digital banking services.

Also, the CBN data revealed that currency in circulation in Nigeria has added N1.48 trillion or 55.8 per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) to N4.14 trillion as of August 2024, from N2.66 trillion in August 2023.

Cash squeeze pronounced in the North

Daily Trust findings revealed that the northern states are mostly affected by the current scarcity largely due to the onset of harvest and the fewer numbers of financial institutions in the rural areas of the North.

READ ALSO:

Findings by our reporters in Borno State indicate that some businessmen buying up grains on a large scale were said to be mopping up cash.

A POS operator, Hamza Abdullahi, said operators no longer get the required cash in banks, therefore, depend on traders and petrol stations.

Hamza attributed the scarcity to the harvest and yuletide period that is fast approaching.

He said: “Traders are busy buying the new harvests and to do this, they need cash because farmers in our rural areas do not use electronic payment channels. Some do not even have bank accounts”.

He said many people are also buying goats and other animals that are transported to the South ahead of Christmas, adding that these are largely cash transactions contributing to the scarcity.

He said for N50,000, POS operators now charge N1, 000 as against N500 previously.

Kano

Abubakar Sadiq Danzaria, said POS operators are milking customers, raising charges because of the scarcity.

Another POS operator in Rijiyar Zaki Motor park, Adamu Salisu, who said he visited Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) in Murtala Mohammed road said, “Banks give only N50,000 a day and that is not enough to cater to the needs of our customers. Therefore, we source the cash from traders or filling stations.”

On his part, the chairman of Singer Market Development Association (SIMDA), Alhaji Junaidu Muhammad Zakaria, agreed with the POS operators that cash scarcity exists.

Speaking, a businessman, Muntari Aliyu said: “if you go to the rural markets, you can withdraw N3 million from the POS operator. They have the cash.

READ ALSO:

“People there don’t do business with our modern means of transactions; they don’t trust it that’s why they are not taking the money to the bank. It’s not in circulation the way it should”, he said.

Abdullahi Haruna, a grain merchant said it was tough for him to get N10 million that he needed to visit the grains market in Sumaila, on Wednesday.

“I had to use traders at the ‘Yankura and other markets in the Kano metropolis. This took me more than one week,” he said.

Zainab Almu, an entrepreneur, said the cash scarcity is as a result of the harvest season, and not necessarily a policy matter.

“Farmers who are bringing the grains from the villages are still sceptical about bank transfer. They want to collect their money in cash and go back home.

“There is the need for more sensitisation in this part of the country. Again, some of them have been duped in the past, especially during the cash crunch ahead of the 2023 elections.

“Many of them lost their fortunes because they received fake credit alerts from some dubious Nigerians. A lot of sensitisation must be done to convince such people to trust the system again,” he said.

She said she has accounts in Access, Zenith and GT banks. “All the banks are facing some challenges of notes. When you go to withdraw, there is limit to what they will give you,” she said.

Worry over cash scarcity in banks as farmers mop up naira

Daily Trust

metro

We didn’t arrest Hamdiyya Sidi for criticising Sokoto governor – Police

Published

29 mins ago

November 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Governor Ahmed Aliyu and Hamdiyya Sidi

We didn’t arrest Hamdiyya Sidi for criticising Sokoto governor – Police

The Sokoto Police Command has refuted claims circulated by an online platform alleging that Hamdiyya Sidi was arrested and detained for criticizing Governor Ahmed Aliyu.

Labeling the reports as baseless, police officials clarified that Sidi was detained following a complaint lodged against her for allegedly inciting public unrest.

In a statement issued by the Sokoto State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ahmed Rufai, the police detailed that Sidi allegedly admitted to inciting residents to violence during questioning.

According to the statement, Sidi allegedly presented herself as a humanitarian seeking to assist local residents with donations, but later used the platform to incite them, prompting law enforcement action.

The statement read: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force, Sokoto Command, has been drawn to the ongoing falsehood and misinformation circulated by social media handles on the purported story that the Nigeria Police, Sokoto Command, secretly arrested and arraigned a woman who lamented on the recent rise in killings in Sokoto for embarrassing Governor Aliyu Ahmed Sokoto. This is false and misleading.”

READ ALSO:

The statement continued to clarify the situation, explaining: “On the 3rd of November 2024 at 1700hrs, Marafa Yakubu, the village head of Sabon Birnin Daji village in Wurno Local Government Area, reported to the police that a woman, later identified as Hamdiyya Sidi from Munki village in the same local government, had visited the area, claiming to represent a charity aimed at assisting women and youth. She reportedly requested to address women in the community, intending to distribute aid to those in need.

“However, instead of distributing relief items as promised, she began encouraging the women to forcibly seize government properties in Wammako Local Government Area, claiming ownership rights over them.”

Yakubu observed the rising tension among community members and alerted local guards, who detained Sidi and subsequently handed her over to the police. “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the offence and was charged to court within 24 hours for the offence of inciting disturbance,” the statement added.

The Sokoto Police emphasized, “One of our constitutional responsibilities is to investigate crimes, both minor and major, and the case of Hamdiyya is no exception.”

The Commissioner of Police advised residents to carefully consider the information they share publicly, warning against the spread of misinformation that could disrupt the state’s peace.

“Sokoto State Police Command remains committed to protecting fundamental human rights while carrying out its duties,” the statement concluded.

We didn’t arrest Hamdiyya Sidi for criticising Sokoto governor – Police

metro

Four varsity lecturers dismissed for sexual misconduct

Published

43 mins ago

November 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Four varsity lecturers dismissed for sexual misconduct

In a significant development, the Governing Council of Federal University Lokoja has approved the dismissal of four lecturers over allegations of examination malpractices and sexual misconduct.

According to reports, the decision was made during the council’s Second Meeting on Thursday, following a thorough investigation into the accusations that surfaced last year.

Led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, the council commended the university’s management for adhering to due process in investigating the claims of examination misconduct and sexual harassment against the lecturers involved.

READ ALSO:

Ndoma-Egba stated, “The council will not tolerate any unethical conduct in the university” and called for prompt resolution of other pending misconduct cases, particularly one within the Faculty of Science that has gained media attention.

In a caution to staff and lecturers, the council emphasized its commitment to addressing any form of student molestation and urged students to report incidents of misconduct without fear.