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

Published

2 years ago

November 11, 2022

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.

Related Topics:attacks Featured INEC Ogun Osun

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.