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Updated: Panic in Lagos as violent protests spread, Jigawa recognises old naira notes
The riot that broke out early Friday morning in the Ketu/Mile 12 and Ojota areas of Lagos over inability of people to use old naira notes for daily transactions has spread to other parts of the state.
The violent protests captured on social media platforms caused serious traffic along the Ikorodu expressway.
The violence later spread to Agege, Ikorodu, Iyana Iba.
Motorists and other road users on their way to different places of work hurriedly turned back in panic as the rioters went berserk with bonfires set across the road.
In Jigawa State, the government has moved to prevent violence over the naira scarcity as it declares that the old naira notes remain legal tender in the state pending the judgment of the Supreme Court.
The Lagos protesters blocked the Ikorodu road with bonfires while many vehicles were reportedly vandalised in the process.
The protest was said to have started following the rejection of the old notes of N1000 (one thousand naira) and N500 (five hundred naira) by traders in the area.
Traders, who had come to the market early Friday were frustrated by the rejection of the old naira notes by traders at the market.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the unrest happening in the Mile 12 area of Lagos State.
He made this known via his Twitter handle on Friday.
Responding to a tweet asking the PPRO to confirm the rumour, Hundeyin replied, “ It is true. Our men are there. Reinforcement units have been deployed. Stay safe out there as we closely monitor and manage the situation.”
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had earlier said his administration would prosecute anyone found rejecting the old naira notes.
But President Muhammadu Buhari, in a national broadcast on Thursday, directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to make only the old N200 available and allow it to be used along with the just redesigned notes while declaring that the old N1000 and N500 notes had ceased to be legal tender.
Meanwhile, the Jigawa State Government has said the old naira notes remain legal tender in the state pending the judgment of the Supreme Court.
The state Commissioner for Information, Youths Sports and Culture Bala Ibrahim Mamsa stated this in a statement issued to on Thursday.
According to him “Jigawa State is among the states before the Supreme Court of Nigeria the CBN and the court have issued an order “…restraining the CBN from suspending or determining or ending on the 10th of February, 2023 the time frame within which the now older versions of the 200, 500 and 1000 denominations of the naira may no longer be legal tender pending the hearing and determination of the …. Motion on notice…”
He said Jigawa State Government enjoined its citizens to desist from disobeying the law and causing hardships to the people of the state.
Mamsa stated that it has come to the government’s notice that some individuals and corporate bodies in the state are rejecting the now old N200, N500, and N1000 notes.
He said the government would take action against anyone found rejecting the old naira notes.
The commissioner, however, advised the general public to report any trader or business organizations that refused to accept the N200, N500, and N1000 notes as legal tender in Jigawa State to the nearest appropriate authorities.
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Soldier dies while ‘rushing to rescue brother arrested by policemen’
A soldier of the Nigerian Army, Lcpl Ojo Tope has died in an accident in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State.
According to a report by SaharaReporters, multiple sources said the deceased attached to the 322 Artillery regiment in Benin City was on his way to meet policemen who had allegedly arrested his brother illegally.
The incident occurred around 10 pm on Wednesday.
The policemen attached to Ikere Area Command had reportedly illegally detained Ojo’s brother and after talking to him on the phone, Ojo was asked to come to their checkpoint and identify himself as a soldier.
SaharaReporters learnt that on his way to the checkpoint, Ojo was involved in an accident.
A relative of the deceased told the online newspaper that : “A soldier (Ojo Tope) serving in Benin City came home on a pass in Ikere Ekiti. Around 10 pm on Wednesday, he realised there was no fuel in their generator. So, he sent his younger brother who has a car to get fuel for him.
“However, on his way to get the fuel, the guy met some policemen on the road and they arrested him illegally. They asked him why he was driving at that time and asked him to unlock his phone as well but he refused.
“He pleaded with them that it was his soldier brother who sent him to buy fuel but they refused to let him go. So, he later called the soldier to talk to the policemen and one of them asked him to come and meet them. Sadly, on his way there on a bike, he had an accident.
“After the accident, people rushed him down to where the policemen seized the brother’s car and they pleaded with them to release the car so they could use it to rescue the soldier to the state hospital in Ikere but they refused to release the vehicle.
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“They later got another one to carry the soldier to the hospital. Unfortunately, before they would get to the hospital, the soldier gave up. His body is now in the morgue.”
The family source said some residents who heard about Ojo’s death got angry and wanted to protest against the actions of the policemen but the family calmed them down.
When SaharaReporters contacted the spokesperson for Ekiti State Police Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, denied the role allegedly played by the policemen in the death of Ojo.
He said, “This could be termed ‘a lie from the pit of hell’ as no such incident or report was made in any of our stations across the state, not even the headquarters.
“The only vehicle that was confiscated by our surveillance team from Ikere Area Command on Wednesday night was an unregistered Toyota Camry 2006 model car. The driver had no document and could not give satisfactory proof that the vehicle belonged to him, but then offered to go home and get the documents.
“Up till this moment, the driver did not bring the car documents or come for his vehicle. It should be noted that our surveillance teams do not have or create checkpoints.
“No soldier’s death was reported by anybody or family or the military authority in the state in Ikere Area Command or any of our divisions or formations across the state in recent time and nobody has come to solicit for the release of the said Toyota Camry car.”
“Meanwhile, anyone with any genuine complaint against the conduct of our men should feel free to approach the nearest police station, formation, office of the PPRO or office of the Commissioner of Police for necessary and immediate action,” Abutu added.
Soldier dies while ‘rushing to rescue brother arrested by policemen’
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Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many
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
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.”
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