INEC Holds Emergency Meeting Today after Recording 47 Attacks In 33 Months – Newstrends
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INEC Holds Emergency Meeting Today after Recording 47 Attacks In 33 Months

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will hold an emergency security meeting in Abuja today over attacks on its facilities. 

It convened the meeting following the latest attacks on its offices in Ogun and Osun states on Thursday.

With Thursday’s attacks, the INEC has suffered 47 attacks on its facilities and offices since February 2019. A source at the commission said  that the attacks are deliberate attempts to stop them from carrying out their duties.

Another source not from INEC but works with knowledge of the commission’s works, said the Yoruba Nation agitators are being fingered. 

“They recently attacked a military facility in Ogun State and carted away with some weapons.

“Security forces have not yet commented on this allegation but sources said they are not ruling out any possibilities,” the source said.

Hoodlums Thursday set an office of INEC at Iyana Mortuary, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on fire leaving a total of 65,699 Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) destroyed.

Sources said the hoodlums, numbering about eight, scaled the fence to gain entry into the premises of the electoral body.

A security guard at the facility, Azeez Hamzat, was said to have made a distress call to the police around 1 am on Thursday. Our correspondent gathered that the store, registration area and conference room were affected by the fire.

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In Osun, suspected hoodlums yesterday set on fire the INEC office in Ede South LGA of the state.

The hoodlums, it was gathered left immediately after setting the office located at Oke Iresi in Ede ablaze. It was gathered that residents trooped out and put the fire out after the arsonist left the premises.

Head of the Department of Public Education of the commission, Ayoola Balogun while confirming the incident told Daily Trust that the fire did not affect important documents.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola also confirmed the incident and assured that it would be investigated.

Emergency security meeting

National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Festus Okoye, said the emergency meeting was triggered by the attacks on the commission’s local government offices in Ogun and Osun states on Thursday.

The meeting, which will be attended by heads of security agencies, who are members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) including the National Security Adviser (NSA), will discuss the trend and fashion out ways of curbing the development ahead of the 2023 elections.

Okoye said in Ogun, “The main building and all the Commission’s movable assets in the office were destroyed. They include 904 ballot boxes, 29 voting cubicles, 30 megaphones, 57 election bags, 8 electric power generators and 65,699 uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

“Similarly, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, reported that our office in Ede South Local Government Area was attacked and set ablaze.”

He added that the attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security and safety agencies has been drawn to the incidents. He said the security agencies have commenced investigations.

“With just 106 days to the 2023 General Election, when the commission has commenced the movement of materials to our offices nationwide, these simultaneous attacks are very worrisome indeed, “he said.

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He also said that the rising incidents of attacks on supporters of various political parties since the commencement of the campaign barely two months ago and the use of hate and incendiary language by some politicians are extremely disturbing.

IGP probes attack on Atiku’s convoy in Borno

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has disclosed the plan to constitute a team to thoroughly investigate the circumstances leading to the attacks on the convoy of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, by suspected thugs in Maiduguri, Borno State on Wednesday.

He spoke on Thursday while featuring at the State House Media Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Baba, who reacted to questions on the recent attacks on campaign rallies and political events in Rivers, Kaduna and Borno States, said the state police spokesperson in Borno might have reached a conclusion too quickly in his assessment.

He explained that assessment from the state PRO might have been too hasty and not conclusive, hence the need to establish a team to make a holistic assessment from the various narratives to ascertain the true picture and prevent a reoccurrence. The convoy of Atiku was reportedly attacked on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The IGP urged politicians to play by the rules ahead of the elections and avoid violent clashes during electioneering.

“On how realistic it is in stopping the issue of violence in our political agenda, either in rallies or campaigns. Well, it takes two to tango. There are laid down means, ways procedures to do rallies and campaigns.

“On our part, we have gone out to appeal to politicians to play the game by the rules. And at the same time allow us to regulate political processions, campaigns and rallies, to avoid clashes and so forth.”

He said the force was fully prepared to ensure peaceful general elections and carry out its responsibilities in line with the provisions of the laws.

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N180m not missing from my account, it was all a plan – Verydarkman

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December 31, 2024

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Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as Verydarkman

N180m not missing from my account, it was all a plan – Verydarkman

Popular social critic, Martins Otse, also known as Verydarkman has revealed that not a single dime from his NGO funds is missing.

In a video shared on Tuesday, the outspoken social critic expressed disappointment with Nigerians for accepting the story without proper investigation and for resorting to insults directed at him and his mother.

He said, “No money is missing, my money is secured. The way people are so excited about bad is really sad. I told my website guy, shut the website, let us use this people catch cruise. Nobody bothered to ask for evidence. They just went with what is being said. I am so happy I did this.

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Recall on Friday, Verydarkman took to Instagram to raise an alarm about the hacking of his organisation’s account, claiming N180 million was missing.

N180m not missing from my account, it was all a plan – Verydarkman

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Court orders forfeiture of $49,700 linked to former INEC official

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December 31, 2024

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Court orders forfeiture of $49,700 linked to former INEC official

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sum of 49, 700. 00 US dollars allegedly recovered from Dr Nura Ali, former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for Sokoto State in the 2023 general elections.

Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), moved an ex-parte motion to the effect.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) was the applicant, Ali was the sole respondent in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024

The motion, dated Dec. 20 and filed Dec. 24, was jointly filed by the ICPC and the Department of State Service (DSS).

Mr Usman Dauda, the Director of Legal, signed the application on DSS’ behalf, Akponimisingha, Assistant Chief Legal Officer in ICPC, was part of the legal team that drafted the process.

The motion sought an order of the court temporarily forfeiting the sum of $49,700.00 (forty-nine thousand, seven hundred dollars), “recovered from one Dr. Nura Ali during a search operation by the Federal Government of Nigeria being property suspected to be proceed of an unlawful activity.”

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It also sought an order directing the applicant i.e., the FRN, through the ICPC and the DSS to jointly conduct a thorough preliminary investigation into the alleged unlawful activities of Ali, in respect of the moveable property sought to be forfeited and make a report to the court within 90 days.

It sought an order directing the applicant i.e., FRN, through the ICPC and the DSS to deposit the 49,700.00 dollars in an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN.

The application equally sought an order directing the applicant to publish a notice in any national newspaper calling for persons whether, human, juristic or artificial, having Interest in the money to show cause why it should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

Giving nine grounds why the application should be granted, the applicant said the victim of the alleged crime was the Federal Government of Nigeria and innocent taxpayers which include judges of courts across the country.

It said the money was recovered during a search operation by operatives of the DSS at the residence of Ali.

“The alleged moveable property of $49,700.00 was bribe money received by Dr Nura Ali when he was the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for Sokoto State.

“The alleged moveable property is not the legitimate earning of Dr Ali as Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner. S

“The alleged moveable property is suspected to be proceed of crime,” it said.

The applicant argued that INEC does not pay its staff members with United States Dollar as salaries or allowances.

It said the essence of the application was not to compulsorily acquire the alleged moveable property from the alleged owner, but to preserve the property from dissipation.

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It said if the court grants the reliefs sought, interested persons including the alleged owner will be given opportunity to offer an explanation as to the legitimacy of the alleged property.

“Where cogent and verifiable explanation exists as to how the property was acquired, devoid of crime, the alleged owner or any other person having proprietary interest in the property will be allowed unrestricted possession of the property.

“This application is not in conflict with the provisions of Sections 43 and 44 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which guarantee the rights of citizens of Nigeria to acquire and own immoveable and moveable properties in any part of Nigeria,” it said.

When the matter was called, Akponimisingha, who appeared for the FRN, told the court that the motion ex-parte prayed the court for four orders.

The lawyer said four exhibits were attached to the motion, including Exhibit DSS 1 to Exhibit DSS 4.

He urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.

He said a search was conducted in Ali’s residence in Kano and the sum of 49, 700, 000 US dollars was retrieved from the building.

He told the court that Ali allegedly said that the sum of $150, 000 US dollars was given to him by the former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, and Sen. Aliyu Wamakko.

The ICPC lawyer, who alleged that Ali made this disclosure in his extra-judicial statement to the DSS, said the former REC also wrote a letter to the security outfit in the bid to reclaim the money.

He insisted that INEC does not pay his workers or RECs in dollars.

Also in the affidavit in support of the motion ex-parte deposed to by Iliya Markus, a litigation officer with ICPC, he said that Akponimisingha informed him that he read through the case file and comprehended facts forming the allegations leading to the execution of e search warrant by operatives of the DSS at Ali’s residence.

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Markus said the DSS received an intelligence report on Dr Ali on allegations of bribery received from stakeholders, i.e politicians in the course of his official duties as INEC REC in charge of Sokoto State.

He said the intelligence report was processed and residence of Ali in Kano was searched pursuant to a search warrant executed jointly by operatives of the ICPC and DSS.

“A copy of the search warrant is hereby attached and marked as exhibit DSS 1,” he said.

The officer said in the course of the execution of the search warrant, the sum of $47,000.00 was recovered from the house.

According to him, Dr Ali also made statement(s) with respect to the search on his residence and the subsequent recovery of the alleged $49,700.00.

“A copy of the said extra-judicial statement is hereby attached and marked as exhibit DSS 2,” he said.

He said invitation letters had been written to invite persons he claimed gifted him the alleged $49,700.00.

“I also know as a fact that Dr Nura Ali did not report the gift of the alleged $49,700.00 to any law enforcement agency as required by extant laws of the land.

“Dr Ali had in the past written letters to the State Security Services requesting for release of the alleged $49,700.00 bribe money to him.

“Copies of the said letters are hereby attached and marked as exhibits DSS 3 & 4 respectively,” he said.

Markus said the investigation was yet to be concluded, hence, the need for the 90 days’ application.

Justice Nwite, who said that the application was meritorious, granted the prayers.

The judge adjourned the matter until Jan. 30, for report of compliance on the publication in the media and adjourned until March 31 for hearing of the matter.

 

Court orders forfeiture of $49,700 linked to former INEC official

(NAN)

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DSS arrests activist Shehu Mahdi over post on French military base

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2 hours ago

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December 31, 2024

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Shehu Mahdi

DSS arrests activist Shehu Mahdi over post on French military base

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Mahdi Shehu, a prominent whistleblower and rights activist in Kaduna, over a controversial social media post alleging that France was influencing Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to establish a French military base in the Northwestern region.

Mr. Shehu’s post, which featured an old video falsely suggesting French dominance in Nigeria’s affairs, sparked widespread online debate following President Tinubu’s recent visit to France.

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Despite deleting the video, which had gone viral, the DSS detained him over the weekend and is holding him at their Kaduna office.

Peoples Gazette reports indicate that the DSS is preparing to charge Mr Shehu in court by Monday. The arrest was first reported by Solacebase, a Kaduna-based newspaper.

This is not Mr. Shehu’s first encounter with authorities. Earlier this year, he was arrested by the police over extortion allegations brought by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

Mr. Shehu had denied the claims, alleging persecution due to a story he was working on that implicated the former justice minister.

 

DSS arrests activist Shehu Mahdi over post on French military base

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