Tinubu bars ex-Niger Delta agitators from Aso Villa – Newstrends
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Tinubu bars ex-Niger Delta agitators from Aso Villa

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Alhaji Mujarhedeen Asari-Dokubo

There are strong indications that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has barred any former Niger Delta insurgent commander from visiting him at the presidential mansion in Abuja.

Based on this directive, it was learnt that the presidency recently rejected requests for courtesy visits by key militant leaders and ethnic militias from the oil-rich region to Tinubu in the villa.

The decision was reportedly taken in the aftermath of the visit to Tinubu by the leader of the defunct Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujarhedeen Asari-Dokubo, on June 16 this year.

Asari-Dokubo, a staunch supporter of Tinubu, backed and supported the President in the run-up to the 2023 presidential election.

A report on Tuesday by Leadership stated that Tinubu, in ordering the action, was disturbed by public utterances and actions of Asari-Dokubo after his visit to the villa.

It was learnt that Tinubu was bothered that all “verbal vituperations and militant activities” of Asari-Dokubo in the Niger Delta were subsequently linked to him after the June audience with the notable activist.

As he stepped out of the Villa, Asari-Dokubo, in a chat with the State House reporters, took on the Armed Forces, accusing its personnel of being neck-deep in economic sabotage, especially crude oil theft and vandalism of oil equipment in the region.

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The allegation, it was learnt, embarrassed and shocked Tinubu, especially because he made the shocking revelation moments after departing his office.

Leadership reported sources in the presidency as saying that Dokubo’s outbursts against the military within the vicinity of the villa gave the inkling that the President shared the same views with the ex-militant commander.

It was gathered that the presidency was ruffled by the attacks on the President by notable Nigerians over the utterances and actions of Asari-Dokubo, especially his effrontery in the reckless public assemblage of gun-wielding youths in his enclave in Rivers State.

The gun-bearing renegades often appeared in viral videos with Asari-Dokubo, assuming commanding roles.

Asari-Dokubo also took on the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, threatening to deal with the chief executive of the state.

The presidency was said to have been irked that his association with the President had continued to give a wrong signal to the public that he enjoyed the support and backing of the nation’s number one citizen.

To this end, one of our sources in the presidency said all individuals known to be linked with the Niger Delta ethnic crisis and oil industry unrest in the region, requesting courtesy visits and audience with the President after the Asari-Dokubo’s experience, had their applications declined.

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A notable militant from the region, who made a request for an audience with the President last week, was said to have lamented that his application was declined by the nation’s seat of power.

He said top officials of the presidency pointedly informed him that the President was not disposed to meeting with members of his group.

But Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, said he was not aware of the President’s directive on the matter.

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Ramadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr

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Ramadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr

 

Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad, says the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan fasting has been sighted.

The Sultan, who is president of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSIA), said in a broadcast on Saturday night, “Today marks the end of the Ramadan fasting and Sunday, March 30, is the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.”

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Embrace environmental sanitation during Eid-Fitr, LAGESC boss tells Lagosians

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Embrace environmental sanitation during Eid-Fitr, LAGESC boss tells Lagosians

By Dada Jackson

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has urged Lagosians to embrace proper environmental practices and obey the state’s environmental laws ahead of the Eid-l-Fitr festivities to mark the end of the Ramadan fast by Muslim faithful around the world.

Corps Marshal of the agency, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (retd), sounded the call at the agency’s command headquarters at Bolade-Oshodi.

He said, ‘‘The Ramadan fast is a testament to the willingness of Muslim faithful to adhere to the pillars of their faith and it is enjoined that cleanliness is an important religious practice in all faiths, which is why we admonish Lagosians to imbibe proper waste disposal and keep their environment clean during the celebration.”

Cole also advised Lagosians to make proper use of pedestrian bridges for their safety instead of crossing highways to prevent ‘hit and run’ cases by speeding motorists.

He equally read a riot act to miscreants in the habit of converting pedestrian bridges to sleeping areas which deters Lagosians in transit, pedestrians vowing that anyone caught w be made to face the state Environmental laws as amended

The KAI boss also revealed that the agency had recorded giant strides and would not relent in ridding pedestrian bridges across Lagos of criminal obstructions, traders and hawkers with daily arrests made alongside secured prosecutions by the Courts.

The Corps Marshal also warned Lagosians to desist from street trading, use of Styrofoam pack, hawking in traffic, patronage of cart pushers for refuse disposal, and erection of illegal structures on laybys, setbacks, medians, road verges, kerbs or around public schools in the state.

The KAI head said offenders would be made to face the consequences via prosecution in a competent court of appropriate jurisdiction.

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Mother, daughter who stole ponmo, stock fish in Ogun jailed six months

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Mother, daughter who stole ponmo, stock fish in Ogun jailed six months

A Magistrates’ Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State yesterday sentenced a mother, Falilatu Amidu, and her daughter, Ayisatu, to six months imprisonment each for stealing dry ponmo, stock fish and dried meat valued N1 million

The defendants, who reside at No 21 Ago-Oko area of Abeokuta, were convicted on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

The Magistrate, Mrs O.O. Odumosu, held that the evidence presented by the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the convicts were guilty of the offence as charged.

Odumosu sentenced both mother and daughter to six months in prison each with an option of N5,000 fine.

She ordered that the convicts should refund N100,000 each to the complainant as restitution before accessing the N5,000 fine option.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Kehinde Fawunmi, had told the court that the defendants committed the offence at Lafenwa market sometime in August 2024.

Fawunmi explained that Falilatu conspired with her daughter, Ayisatu, to steal a big sack  containing stock fish, dried ponmo and dried cow meat valued N1million, belonging to one Mrs kafayat Alao.

According to him, one of the defendants, Falilatu, used to help the complainant to carry load from her store in Lafenwa to where the complainant sells her items.

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“The complainant asked her to help her pick some goods from the store. She waited for over an hour and did not see the defendant, which made her to go to the store to check on her.

“On getting to the store, she did not find Falilatu, and she noticed a big bag containing dried meat, ponmo and stock fish was missing while the defendant was nowhere to be found,” he said.

Fawunmi further explained that Falilatu stole the goods and gave it to her daughter (Ayisatu) to sell. He said Ayisatu received the goods from her mother, knowing that they were stolen.

The prosecutor noted that the offence committed contravened sections 516, 390(9) and 127 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun 2006.

Mother, daughter who stole ponmo, stock fish in Ogun jailed six months

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