IPOB set to release National Anthem, calls for solidarity at Kanu’s court appearance – Newstrends
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IPOB set to release National Anthem, calls for solidarity at Kanu’s court appearance

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Wednesday announced that it would soon release the Biafra national anthem to be sung in all schools in the Southeast.

In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB reiterated that all schools in the region must commence singing the anthem, assuring that it would soon receive copies of the anthem.

The group insisted that the Biafra Republic, which it has been agitating for, was coming and nothing would stop it.

The group warned that any school disobeying the order would regret its action.

IPOB insisted on the unconditional release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

It therefore directed members to get ready to show solidarity with Kanu in his next court appearance on January 18, 19 and 20, 2022.

The group also directed those in the animal husbandry business to immediately switch over to the native cow following the ban on Fulani cows in the zone with effect from April 2022.

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The statement reads in part: “We wish to commend Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of Biafra freedom for their resilience and efforts towards the actualisation of Biafra independence.

“We happily welcome all into 2022.

“We assure our people that the struggle will record more tremendous successes more than the previous years.

“Our achievement in the struggle for Biafra restoration will marvel many traitors because IPOB will soon showcase our achievements so far.

“We have accomplished so much since this fight for our freedom started, and we give the credit to the Almighty God in heaven who has ordained the restoration of Biafra.

“We want to declare that Nigeria Government and its security agencies will have no peace of mind unless they release our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU unconditionally because our God will torment them.

“Kanu is on a divine project and nobody will hold him and have peace of mind.

“The leadership of IPOB headed by Mazi Chika Edoziem has given an order for all IPOB family across the world to activate the protest to show our anger towards the illegal abduction and extraordinary rendition of our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria.

“To this end, we want to inform all Biafrans to get ready to solidarise with our leader as usual, in his next court appearance scheduled for January 18, 19 and 20.

“Fulani cows are banned in Biafraland starting from April 2022.

“Those in the animal husbandry business must switch over to our native cow without delay.

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“Again, concerning stop reading Nigeria national anthem in our schools, we want every school to start reading Biafra national anthem and soon every school is going to receive a copy of Biafra national anthem because Biafra is coming and nothing will stop it.

“The 30th of May every year will be celebrating independence anniversary and nothing will stop that, Biafrans must oblige to this order for our freedom.

“Any school found wanting or disobeying this order will regret their actions.

“Our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU must be released.

“Nigeria cannot be releasing bandits and terrorists but keep freedom-seekers behind bars perpetually; it’s an error!

“We are also warning traitors to stay off our territory because it won’t be easy for them this time because 2022 will be hunt down year for them.”

Recall that IPOB is a proscribed organisation by the Federal Government.

The highest Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has emphasised that IPOB does not speak for the Southeast or the Igbo.

IPOB leader Kanu is on trial over alleged treasonable felony charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Security agencies have accused IPOB and its security arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) of being behind most of the acts of violence and destruction in the Southeast.

Still, the group insists on being non-violent despite always issuing threats, such as “any school found wanting or disobeying this order will regret their actions”.

Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was brought back to the country.

IPOB claimed Kanu was a victim of extraordinary rendition.

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The charges against Kanu read in part:

*Bright Chimezie, Chidiebere Onwidiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawuisi and Kanu, in 2014 and 2015, in Nigeria and London, conspired to broadcast on Radio Biafra their plan to secede from Nigeria and form the Republic of Biafra, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C77 of 2004.

*Kanu illegally smuggled radio transmitters into Nigeria, which he used to disseminate “hate broadcasts”, encouraging the “secession of the Republic of Biafra”, from Nigeria.

*Kanu imported a Radio transmitter known as TRAM 50L, which was concealed in a container that was declared as used household items, to use same to disseminate information about secession plans by the IPOB.

*Kanu, “on or about the 28th April, 2015 in London, United Kingdom did in a broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu state and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, referred to Major General Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil, knowing same to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C. 38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004”.

*The defendants committed treasonable felony, an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

*The defendants managed the affairs of the IPOB, “an unlawful society”.

IPOB seeks an independent state of Biafra.

The Nation/The Eagle

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Man gets four-year jail for sexually assaulting teenager in Lagos

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November 27, 2024

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Man gets four-year jail for sexually assaulting teenager in Lagos

One Onyeka Ubaka has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for sexual assault and maltreatment of a 16-year-old girl in Lagos State.

He was convicted and sentenced by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday.

Justice Rahmon Oshodi convicted him after he pleaded guilty to the two amended charges brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

Ubaka was initially arraigned on January 12, 2024, and was initially charged with defilement through one-count information filed on October 26, 2023, to which he pleaded not guilty.

In the court proceedings, the prosecution counsel, B. E. Okeowo, presented a single witness, the prosecutrix, whose testimony proved particularly significant in establishing the case against the defendant. The prosecutrix who provided a testimony, identified the defendant as her boyfriend and disclosed that she was 16 years old in 2023 and that her relationship with the defendant began in her mother’s shop.

The victim testified to the court that the defendant had multiple instances of sexual intercourse with her, which resulted in pregnancy and childbirth.

“The defendant is the father of my child. He impregnated me, and the child is five months old.”

According to PUNCH, the victim, during cross-examination, gave testimony evidence that incriminate the defendant.

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In one instance, she disclosed that the defendant took her to a bar, gave her yogurt to drink, and after she drank it, she lost consciousness. She further disclosed that she woke up in a hotel room and realised that the defendant had non-consensual sex with her and told her to keep the incident a secret.

At the court proceeding on Tuesday, Justice Oshodi disclosed to the court that the prosecution counsel, B. E. Okeowo, had informed the court that the parties had entered a plea and sentence agreement dated and filed on November 25, 2024. The court then charged and convicted the defendant on the amended charge of indecent acts and sexual assault to which the defendant pleaded guilty.

Justice Ramon, in his judgment, stated that the prosecution had established beyond a reasonable doubt the charges brought against the defendant, and found the defendant guilty of indecent act and sexual assault.

“From the evidence presented by the prosecution, I am satisfied that the essential elements of indecent acts and sexual assault have been established. There is an abundance of evidence to support this conclusion. The defendant’s guilty plea further justifies his conviction for the offences contained in the amended information.

“Therefore, I find the defendant guilty and convict him under Sections 134 and 263 of the Criminal Law Supra”, he ruled.

When asked what he had to say, the defendant begged the court to temper justice with mercy.

“Temper justice with mercy so that I will take care of my responsibility,” he appealed.

It is gathered that the defendant’s father had paid the sum of N300,000 and had undertaken to sponsor the prosecutrix first degree and take full responsibility for the child until the child is eight years old.

The prosecution counsel in her final statement asked the court to convict the defendant according to the plea bargain.

“We ask that the convict be sentenced according to the plea bargain agreement starting from the day of remand, March 23, 2023, and this will pass a message to society that sexual offenders are not tolerated in our society.

“We also ask that the name of the convict be registered in the Sexual Offenders Register”, Okeowo said.

Justice Oshodi then found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to four years imprisonment.

 

Man gets four-year jail for sexually assaulting teenager in Lagos

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Lagos taskforce raids criminal hideout, arrests 53 drug peddlers

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November 27, 2024

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Lagos taskforce raids criminal hideout, arrests 53 drug peddlers

CSP Adetayo Akerele, Chairman of Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, announced the arrest of 53 suspected criminals in Gowon Estate.

Akerele said this operation aimed to boost safety, security, and environmental decorum in the area.

“The agency apprehended drug peddlers, addicts; miscreants; street urchins; illegal street traders and people of shady business dealings.

“We found various illicit drugs and narcotics, including Indian hemp, codeine syrup, and colorado,” Akerele said.

The operation brings relief to residents of Gowon Estate, Ipaja, Egbeda, Idimu, and surrounding areas affected by these criminals.

“Residents have endured trauma and safety risks due to these unauthorized squatters.

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The taskforce is committed to safeguarding residents and ridding the metropolis of individuals preying on law-abiding citizens,” Akerele said.

The agency will monitor other criminal hideouts, blackspots, and abandoned properties.

“This vigilance aims to deter individuals with sinister motives.

“These arrests demonstrate our determination to maintain a safe environment.

“We will hold every individual involved in these illegal practices accountable,” Akerele said.

The 53 suspects will face charges for narcotics-related offenses.

Residents are urged to report suspicious activities through the “See Something, Say Something” initiative.

 

Lagos taskforce raids criminal hideout, arrests 53 drug peddlers

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Nigeria Customs returns 21 stolen luxury vehicles to Canada

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November 27, 2024

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Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

Nigeria Customs returns 21 stolen luxury vehicles to Canada

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has returned 21 luxury vehicles worth over N1.8 billion to Canada.

The cars were stolen and smuggled into Nigeria by some criminals.

Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this at a press briefing on Tuesday in Lagos.

He expressed worry at the rise in stolen vehicles and its impact on Nigeria’s economy and security.

According to Adeniyi, Nigeria has become a significant hub for stolen vehicles in West Africa, with syndicates exploiting the country’s ports and borders to bring in stolen vehicles from regions such as Europe, North America, and South America.

He highlighted data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicating that only 54% of stolen vehicles were recovered between 2013 and 2015, illustrating the scale of the problem.

“This trend undermines our legitimate automotive market, strains our security infrastructure, and damages Nigeria’s international reputation,” Adeniyi said.

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He noted that the illegal trade was affecting President Tinubu’s economic reforms, aimed to position Nigeria as a trusted hub for international commerce.

To combat this challenge, Adeniyi disclosed that the NCS had launched Operation Hot Wheels, a collaborative initiative involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Canadian authorities, and international law enforcement agencies.

The operation focused on intelligence sharing, surveillance, and interdiction to disrupt vehicle trafficking networks.

Adeniyi disclosed that the operation uncovered sophisticated smuggling techniques, including false cargo declarations and containerized shipments used to conceal stolen vehicles.

During one operation, officers intercepted a container at Onne Port in Rivers State declared to contain used vehicles and spare parts.

A physical examination revealed three undeclared 2021 Toyota Highlanders, two of which were confirmed stolen from Canada.

Other high-value recoveries include a Lamborghini Huracan and a Mercedes-AMG GT, valued at N630.8 million, intercepted in Lagos, a Rolls-Royce valued at N231.8 million and a 2019 Lamborghini valued at N239.1 million, both recovered in Victoria Island.

Two Range Rovers (2023 and 2018 models), worth  267.1 million, were intercepted in Lekki; a Mercedes-Benz G550 and a Range Rover Sport, worth N506.8 million, were seized along the Trinity Axis in Lagos.

Nigeria Customs returns 21 stolen luxury vehicles to Canada

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