Police Detain Journalist, Dare Akogun For Criticising Kwara State Governor’s CPS – Newstrends
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Police Detain Journalist, Dare Akogun For Criticising Kwara State Governor’s CPS

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Dare Akogun

Dare Akogun, a Kwara State-based broadcast journalist, and Abdulrasheed, his brother, were arrested by officers from the state’s police command on Thursday.

FIJ gathered that the arrest was carried out on the orders of Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary to Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the Kwara State Governor.

The police arrested Akogun in an effort to coerce him to retract an allegation of corruption he made against Ajakaye through his WhatsApp posts.

The broadcaster was first invited by the police via a letter dated October 7. He was requested to come have a meeting with Steve Yabanet, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Criminal Investigation Department of the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Police.

The police also claimed the summon was “just a fact-finding invitation” aimed at assisting them in investigating cases of inciting disturbance, injurious falsehood and criminal defamation.

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However, when Akogun honoured the invitation on October 13, he was asked by the DCP to write a letter of apology to Ajakaye, who had asked them to investigate and prosecute him and his brother for alleged criminal defamation.

Ajakaye had claimed in a petition that the two men committed the offence through their WhatsApp posts on September 30, 2022. He alleged that the brothers, through their posts, had accused him of facilitating the use of over N15 million in public funds to prosecute the previous chairmanship election of the state’s council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Akogun, however, declined on the ground that it would amount to admitting to the charge of injurious falsehood and criminal defamation.

When Akogun would not do Yabanet’s bidding, the DCP ordered that he be detained.

Reacting to the development in a statement on Friday, Ayode Longe, the programme director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), an organisation that promotes and protects the right to freedom of expression, called on Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector-General of Police, to stop politicians, government officials and other powerful individuals’ use of the police to shield themselves from scrutiny or criticism.

Longe described the action of the DCP as unlawful, and an abuse of power and office.

“It is embarrassing that the police now consider it that it is their primary function to protect the reputation of political office holders, politicians and other powerful individuals and misuse their coercive powers to play this role,” he said.

“The Inspector-General of Police should immediately call his officers to order and advise them to desist from making themselves tools in the hands of the rich and powerful.”

The organisation called for the immediate and unconditional release of Akogun, warning that if this was not done within 24 hours, MRA would take legal actions to protect and enforce his fundamental rights and seek substantial damages for the oppressive violation of his rights.

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NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

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NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has extended the deadline for the the second phase of SIM-NIN linkage.

Recall that the process to disconnect SIMs not linked to NIN was initiated in stages, with the second phase slated for today, March 29.

The first phase was on February 28, 2024, after NCC directed telecom operators to disconnect millions of subscribers who didn’t link their SIMs to their NINs.

The third phase is slated to commence on April 15, 2024, as previously announced by NCC in December, 2023.

However, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) said subscriber have been having difficulty linking their SIMs with their NINs, hence it would be unfair to bar them.

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NATCOMS’ President, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, therefore, appealed to the NCC extend the deadline scheduled for the disconnection of telephone lines not linked to NIN beyond Friday, March 29, 2024.

Meanwhile, a senior official of NCC said the commission had changed the second phase deadline.

He disclosed that the change, which will now see the deadline extended by one week, was necessitated by the Easter public holiday.

The official, who spoke in confidence with Daily Trust, said the telcos had been directed not to bar any subscriber until after one week, from Friday, March 29.

He explained that, “The telecom operators will not bar any subscriber yet. We will only be talking about barring after a week from tomorrow. Yes, technically, we can say the deadline has been extended by a week.”

Another NCC top staff member who corroborated what the first official told our reporter added that NCC yielded to appeals by some CSOs and telecom right groups calling for deadline extension because of internet glitches experienced in the country two weeks ago

NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

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30,000 students benefit from Ogun Educash transfer

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Gov. Dapo Abiodun

30,000 students benefit from Ogun Educash transfer

Ogun State said has said 20,000 of its students in tertiary institutions have benefited from Educash transfer of N50,000 to cushion the economic crisis.

Also, it said 10,000 indigent pupils in primary and secondary schools in the state got N10,000 cash transfer.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, spoke after monitoring the cash transfer to primary and secondary schools at Ogun West Senatorial District.

Arigbabu noted more would benefit from the scheme.

He said everyone captured would be paid.

“I can tell you that for the tertiary institutions, we have done 20,000 as at today, and the total for tertiary institution beneficiaries is a little bit less than 50,000. Hopefully, by end of next week, we will reach half of that, which is about 25,000 beneficiaries.

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“I want to assure those who have not received theirs, for instance, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), a list of a little bit over 12,000 was sent to us. As we speak, we have paid just a little less than 6,000. The same thing at Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), where we have a little bit less than 8,000. We have tried to make sure we are targeting between 45 to 50 per cent,” he said.

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Binance Executive drags NSA, EFCC to court, demands public apology

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Binance Executive drags NSA, EFCC to court, demands public apology

Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan has taken legal action against National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging violations of his fundamental rights.

In a filing dated March 18 and presented by his lawyer Olujoke Aliyu from Aluko and Oyebode Law Firm, Gambaryan sought redress before Justice Inyang Ekwo, requesting five reliefs.

Similarly, Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager who escaped custody on March 22, initiated a separate suit before Justice Ekwo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, in the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24 and FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24, had sued the Office of NSA (ONSA) and EFCC as 1st and 2nd respondents.

Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, alleged that his detention and the confiscation of his international travel passport violated Section 35 (1) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution, constituting a breach of his fundamental right to personal liberty.

He further requested the court to order his immediate release and the return of his passport. Additionally, he sought an injunction preventing further detention related to any Binance investigations and demanded a public apology from the respondents, along with costs incurred.

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Gambaryan stated that he visited Nigeria on February 26 alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, representing Binance, in response to invitations from ONSA and EFCC. Despite attending the meeting as requested, both were detained afterward without formal charges.

During the court proceedings, T.J. Krukrubo, SAN, representing Anjarwalla and Gambaryan, informed the court of the respondents’ absence despite being served. Krukrubo also mentioned their notice of withdrawal of legal representation for Anjarwalla, filed on March 26.

Justice Ekwo noted the withdrawal of legal representation and adjourned the matter to April 8 to allow the applicants to seek new representation and give the respondents an opportunity to appear.

In Gambaryan’s case, Krukrubo stated that although the processes were served on ONSA and EFCC, they still had time to respond. He requested an adjournment, indicating that the respondents’ deadline to file their applications would expire the following week.

Consequently, Justice Ekwo scheduled the next hearing for April 8 to continue proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government will arraign Binance Holdings Limited and its two top officials, Tigran Gambaryan and the fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla, on April 4 on allegations bordering on tax evasion.

Binance, Gambaryan, and Anjarwalla, listed as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively, are expected to be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja on a four-count charge.

Anjarwalla, who had been in detention alongside Gambaryan, was said to have escaped from lawful custody. He escaped on Friday from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained.

Binance Executive drags NSA, EFCC to court, demands public apology

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