Man bags two-month jail for false malaria alarm on Facebook – Newstrends
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Man bags two-month jail for false malaria alarm on Facebook

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A young man, Habibu Achile Rabiu, has been sentenced to a two-month imprisonment for allegedly posting false information on his Facebook page.

A magistrates’ court sitting in Lokoja handed down the sentence on Tuesday, addition to a fine of N5,000.

The Department of State Security (DSS) had arrested Rabiu and charged him to court over his comment on the social media application that states: “The rate at which fever is killing people in Kogi State is alarming.”

He was granted bail after being charged with the offence of spreading false information ‘capable of causing panic or inflict injuries to the society’. Moreso, Rabiu made the post on his Facebook during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

At the resumption of the case on Tuesday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr M.A Abaji, argued that the defendant acted contrary to section 393 of the Kogi State penal code by intimidating people, creating fear and inciting people against the state government, by his statement on his Facebook timeline.

Abaji stated that the defendant also raised a false alarm in the state against the backdrop of the rate of death amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He further pointed out that the state epidemiologist who was invited to testify to ascertain Rabiu’s claims noted that at the time the defendant posted his comment on Facebook, the death rate in the state was normal contrary to the defendant’s claim.

The defence counsel, E .A Iwu, argued that the defendant acted based on emotion after his sister who was diagnosed with malarial fever died at that moment in his area of the state

He argued that his client was pained and in a sad mood when he posted the alleged statement on his Facebook page.

The Magistrate, Chief Magistrate, A.A. Agatha, in her judgement sentenced the defendant to two-month imprisonment with no option of fine; in addition, he is to pay N5,000, as stipulated by the law.

The Chief Magistrate stated that the defendant’s action by the said post on his Facebook page has contravened section 393 of the Kogi State Penal code which attracted two months imprisonment, for raising a false alarm.

The defendant was said to have paid N5,000 before he was moved to Correction Centre, shortly after the judgement.

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Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many

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Bello Matawalle

Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many

Rampaging bandits operating in North-West Nigeria have attacked Maradun town, the headquarters of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara, killing one person and kidnapping several others.

Maradun is the hometown of Bello Matawalle, the former governor of the state and present Minister of State for Defence in the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.

Although, police authorities in the state are yet to comment on the latest incident an indigene of the town Nura Maradun told Channels Television that the bandits stormed the town around 1 am on Friday with sophisticated weapons.

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He said they fired indiscriminately to scare residents. According to him, the bandits went from house to house to abduct residents of the town.

“They came in around 1 am and operated till 4 am unchallenged. They went on to search house by house looking for people to be kidnapped,” he said.

“From what I can confirm to you now, one person was killed, and about eight persons most women have been taken away. Some of the women kidnapped are daughters of the Emir’s brother.”

Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many

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Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra

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Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra

The Anambra command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), says it has arrested eight suspected unlicensed private security guards with four pump action guns.

During the parade of the suspects in Awka, the state capital on Thursday, Olatunde Maku, the NSCDC state commandant, said the arrest was made in response to intelligence reports.

Maku added that the suspects are currently undergoing investigation, after which they would be charged to court and prosecuted.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects were impersonating the Anambra Vigilance Group while others were hired by hotels to provide security services, in spite of knowing that the outfits were not licensed or registered,” NAN quoted the NSCDC commandant as saying.

“Meanwhile, four pump action guns with 16 live cartridges were also recovered from them.

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“All the suspects are currently undergoing investigation, after which they would be charged to court and prosecuted.

“This raid is in continuation of the execution of the NSCDC mandate and we will not leave any stone unturned in discharging our responsibilities.

Maku said that the NSCDC is the only agency responsible for licensing, monitoring, and supervising private securities companies in Nigeria, and the raid aims to prevent illegal security outfit proliferation.

The commandant urged licensed private guard companies to adhere to the law and report any suspicious activities or security outfits to the Corps for prompt action.

“I want to put all illegal security outfits on notice to dismantle their operations or face the consequences.

“We will clamp down on any illegal outfit, arrest and prosecute their operators, and recover illegal weapons in their possession.

“This is to restore sanity in the operations of the private security sector and ensure the safety and security of residents.”

Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra

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American school gives EFCC conditions to return $760k Yahaya Bello’s children fees

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Yahaya Bello

American school gives EFCC conditions to return $760k Yahaya Bello’s children fees

The American International School of Abuja (AISA) has reached out to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asking the agency to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

Bello is alleged to have made an advance payment of $720,000 in school fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi State Government.

The children are in grade levels 2 to 8 at the school.

The EFCC operatives on April 17 laid siege to Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.

While the operatives were at the house, the current Governor of Kogi, Usman Ododo, arrived at the property and reportedly whisked Bello away.

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In a letter addressed to the Lagos zonal commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 had been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date”.

AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910 because it had deducted educational services already rendered.

“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.

“Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 (Eight Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Two US Dollars and eighty-four cents) in tuition and other fees has been deposited into our Bank account.

“We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84. (Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ten US Dollars and Eighty-Four cents).

“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”

American school gives EFCC conditions to return $760k Yahaya Bello’s children fees

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