An activist known as Fawaz Alabi has drowned in Lagos.
He went to the beach on Salah day, April 10, to celebrate with friends but went missing during the outing.
His body was recovered Friday, April 12, on the shores of Ibeshe beach in Lagos.
Friends have gone on X to mourn him.
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has condemned the absence of duly and lawfully constituted Governing Councils in the Nigerian government (federal) universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, Colleges of Education and other degree awarding institutions.
The civic organisation said this in a report on Friday titled: “Absence of governing councils in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education: vice chancellors, rectors and provosts now demigods and outlaws,” which was signed by the principal officers, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chinwe Umeche, Obianuju Igboeli and Chidinma Udegbunam
SaharaReporters reports that currently, there are at least 203 federal government controlled Degree Awarding Institutions in Nigeria including 92 monotechnics, 43 universities, 41 polytechnics and 27 Colleges of Education.
However, Intersociety regretted that for the past 10 months, following the unilateral dissolution of Boards and Councils of Federal Agencies, Parastatals and Institutions including the Governing Councils/Boards of all Federal Government-controlled Degree Awarding Institutions, the 203 degree awarding Institutions, have remained without “duly constituted Governing Councils.”
The report stated that situation has made the Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts to now become “demigods and outlaws”.
The report partly read: “It is also totally despicable and condemnable for the Government of Nigeria to have unilaterally and dictatorially sacked the Governing Councils of the affected Federal Government Degree Awarding Institutions without recourse to their prescribed office tenures provided in the laid down statutes (.i.e. the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 1993 as amended in 2003 and 2012) and other rules and regulations governing such Degree Awarding Institutions.
“The present Government of Nigeria under Bola Tinubu is hereby called upon to duly constitute the Governing Councils of the affected Degree Awarding Institutions. This must be done as a matter of uttermost immediacy and inexcusability.
“The Bola Tinubu-led Government of Nigeria must also purge itself of dictatorial tendencies and inclinations and conduct its public affairs strictly in line with the international democratic best practices including at all times adhering to due processes and procedures under the UN System which must include use of merit and avoid resorting to discrimination and segregation (structural violence) in all federal office appointments and postings.
“The reconstitution of the Governing Councils of Federal Universities, Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Colleges of Education and other special Degree Awarding Institutions in Nigeria (.i.e. Army, Navy and Air Force Universities, etc) must also be carried out in full compliance with Sections 14 (3) and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended; which command “all authorities and persons” under Federal Tier of Government in Nigeria to steadily ensure ‘geopolitical (regional) and sub-national (states) balancing’ in all federal appointments and postings as well as prohibiting such appointments and postings from being discriminated or segregated upon and layered in biasness.
“The referenced Government of Nigeria must ensure that due and diligence processes are followed and adhered to in the appointment of new and substantive VCs as replacements for the outgoing ones and attempts to imposed stooges of the former or outgoing ones thwarted and reversed.”
The report added, “Shockingly and alarmingly, the absence of the duly constituted Governing Councils in the above named Degree Awarding Institutions controlled by Nigeria’s Federal Government has turned their Vice Chancellors, Provosts and Rectors into demigods and outlaws; to the extent that they have been reported to have engaged, unchecked, in different types of illegalities and immoral conducts with reckless abandon in addition to dictatorial tendencies,
“Imposition of unlawful and extortionist levies, promotion of favouritism and nepotism, contract inflation and kickbacks and inauguration of white elephant projects; inordinate ambition including the imposition of successors to their office posts and unlawful appointment of faculty deans, departmental heads and provosts of colleges of medicine among others.”
A 25-year-old suspected cultist died on Friday in the Ajegunle part of Lagos State.
The spokesman for the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident to journalists on Saturday.
He said police arrested two suspects in connection with the clashes in the area.
Hundeyin added that police received a distress call on Friday that suspected cultists of Nasamu and Iyalode Streets at Ajegunle were engaging themselves in a free-for-all.
According to him, suspected cultists damaged six commercial vehicles at Boundary Roundabout during the clashes.
“Based on the report, teams of policemen mobilised to the scene and dislodged the suspects, many of who fled the scene.
“Police operatives, however, combed the area and arrested two of the hoodlums in their hideouts.
“One other suspect, a 25-year-old, who was seriously injured during the clash, was rescued and rushed to the hospital where he later died,’’ the spokesman added.
He assured that normalcy had been restored to the affected areas while foot and vehicular patrols had been deployed to forestall any further threat to law and order.
Lagos Court Jails Bobrisky Six Months for Naira Abuse
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, April 12, 2024, sentenced Idris Okuneye, a.k.a Bobrisky, to six months imprisonment over mutilation of the Naira notes.
He was arraigned on Friday, April 5, 2024 on a four-count charge bordering on mutilation of the Naira notes to the tune of N490, 000, 00 (Four Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira).
Count one reads: “That you, OKUNEYE IDRIS OLANREWAJU, on the 24th day of March, 2024, at Imax Circle Mal, Jakande, Lekki, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst dancing during a social event, tampered with the total sum of N400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”
Another count reads: “That you, OKUNEYE IDRIS OLANREWAJU, between July and August, 2023 at Aja Junction, Ikorodu, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst dancing during a social event, tampered with the sum N50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”
He pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
At the last sitting, the prosecution counsel, S.I. Sulaiman, urged the court to allow the investigating officer, ASE I Bolaji Temitope Aje, to give a brief review of the facts against him.
Aje narrated to the court that the EFCC received intelligence on some individuals, who are in the habit of mutilating and spraying the Naira notes at social parties and event centres in Lagos.
According to him, “Based on intelligence, the EFCC set up the Special Operations Team to observe and monitor activities of individuals, who are involved in the habit of mutilating the Naira.
“The team visited many event centres and monitored social media pages, where the Naira was being abused. During the course of the monitoring, the team came across videos on social media, where the defendant was seen abusing the Naira. The team then proceeded to download these videos via our office laptop computers and also went further to copy these videos on compact discs”.
“In the light of the foregoing, a letter of invitation was written and forwarded to the defendant.
“The defendant honoured the invitation. When he got to our office, he was voluntarily cautioned. Thereafter, he volunteered to write his statement”.
“The defendant was shown a video, where he was spraying money on an artiste called Segun Johnson. The defendant confessed that he was the one in the video. He was also shown a video at IMAX Circle Mall, where he sprayed a total sum of N400,000 at a movie premiere. The defendant also admitted that he was the one in the video and that he carried out the abuse”.
“The defendant was also shown two other videos of him spraying the Naira at Aja junction, Ikorodu, and White Stone Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.
“The defendant admitted to spraying money in these videos. He was, therefore, served with a bail condition.
Consequently, Sulaiman then prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
Justice Awogboro had, thereafter, ruled that “upon the admission of guilt by the defendant, testimony of PW1 and following the evidence tendered, the defendant is declared guilty as charged.”
In his plea for mercy, Bobrisky said: “I am a social media influencer, with five million followers; and in all honesty, I was not aware of the law. I wish I can be given a second chance to use my platform to educate my followers against the abuse of the Naira.”
Also, his lawyer had said: “He will lead the crusade against the abuse of Naira. He is also an employer of people ; and if he goes to jail, the people he employs will suffer. He has cooperated with the EFCC and has not wasted the time of the court. We urge the court to caution the defendant and allow him to go. He has given evidence that he will be useful to the country. We urge you to grant a non-custodial sentencing option of fine.”
After listening to both parties, the Judge had deferred judgment in the matter to Tuesday, April 9, 2024 and also ordered that he be remanded in the EFCC custody.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Awogboro held that “The act of mutilating the Naira notes has become a menace, which has continued to damage the image of the country…
“Enough of people mutilating and tampering with our currencies. It has to stop. His will serve as a deterrent to others.”
The Judge, therefore, sentenced him to six months imprisonment, without an option of fine, from the date of his remand.
Visit www.efcc.gov.ng for more stories
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have called the attention of the public of the emergence of several fake websites created by unscrupulous individuals with the intention of misleading Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination(UTME) candidates who want to print their Notification Slip.
Speaking during a Joint Press Briefing organized by the two bodies, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed that the fake sites are designed to deceive innocent candidates into providing personal details such as registration numbers, email addresses, and phone numbers.
“These details are then exploited for malicious purposes. Both JAMB and the Nigeria Police Force condemn these fraudulent activities and hereby reiterate the readiness to safeguard the interests of candidates and maintain the integrity of the examination process.
“We urge parents, guardians, and all stakeholders to ensure that candidates print their UTME Notification Slips only from the Board’s approved website: www.jamb.gov.ng. Candidates can print their slips from the comfort of their homes or visit any of the over 700 accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide,” he said.
He added that the security agencies are familiar with the tactics employed by the fraudsters, especially during the annual assessment and admission exercises, adding that candidates who visit the fake sites get unreliable information which may make them miss out on the forthcoming exams.
While urging candidates to visit JAMB website to print their UTME Notification Slips before Friday, 19th April, 2024, Adejobi called on the candidates to also beware of sites offering ‘live’ questions and answers, as they are false and deceptive, and accessing such materials is prohibited.
“The 2024 UTME is scheduled to commence on Friday, 19th April, and end on Monday, 29th April, 2024. We call on parents, guardians, and the general public to join hands in fostering a culture of integrity and compliance with established guidelines. Together, we can nurture a generation of upright and law-abiding leaders by discouraging fraudulent practices and desperation,” he said.
He disclosed that JAMB is partnering with the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC) to address online scam-related issues seamlessly.
“We assure candidates and the public of our firm dedication to ensuring a fair and transparent examination process.
“In addition, the Inspector General of Police has ordered the NPF-NCCC to go after scammers and fraudsters who engage in cyber related crimes and create phishing sites/portals, and cause them to face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
Also speaking, JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, pledged the Board’s commitment to continue in playing its role to ensure that the candidates are not misled.
He, therefore, urged candidates to ignore any unsolicited messages noting that they were scams aimed at defrauding candidates.
“We have liberalised our processes. We have offices in all the 36 States of the federation including Abuja. Once you have a challenge, you can raise a ticket on the ticketing platform where your queries will be attended to within 24 hours,” he said.
The 2024 UTME is scheduled to commence on Friday, 19th April, and end on Monday, 29th April, 2024.
2024 UTME: JAMB, Police Raise Alarm Over Fake Websites is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
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The Lagos State Police have arrested eight members of a gang that specialize in subjecting their victims to several hours of anal sex after dispossessing them of their properties and cash.
The suspects were arrested in the highbrow areas of Lekki, Ajah and Ikoyi.
Police are making efforts to apprehend fleeing members of the vicious gang made up of young men between the ages of 23 and 40.
Police sources said the young men usually rent living apartments in the highbrow areas of the city after which they embark on a search for their victims.
They usually place notices in strategic areas of the city, advertising job vacancies and acting as estate agents.
Job and accommodation seekers who respond to their adverts would be taken to their apartments, usually situated in one of the booming estates, where they are then subjected to all kinds of torture aimed at forcing them release their account details after which members of the gang would have forced anal sex with them.
Their operational method is to roam around with exotic cars including high flying SUV’s. They place fake advertisements in strategic areas of Lekki, Ajah, Banana Island and even Ikoyi after which they also scout around, looking for fine and healthy-looking men.
As soon as they succeed in getting a victim, they drive the person to their apartment where they torture him for hours. While torturing their victim, they would extract all information about him including his financial status.
“As soon as they are in possession of those personal facts, they swing into action by proceeding to his house or banks to empty his money and other valuables. The second round of their operation is to subject their victim to hours of anal sex which they take turns to have their fill. They usually record their exploits on video and later relax to view it while enjoying their loot,” a police source said, according to Vanguard.
It was gathered that their criminal exploits were blown open after they succeeded in luring and abusing a relation of a mobile police officer.
The officer then lodged a complaint at one of the police stations in Lekki.
Based on this development, the Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade gave marching orders to his special squad to round up the criminals without delay.
The Special Squad, it was learned, succeeded in penetrating the gang and rounded up seven of their members including their oldest member said to be a lawyer.
During interrogations, members of the gang said that their victims were healthy looking young and old men that will satisfy their sexual urge through the anus.
The source said: “They reportedly shocked detectives when they confessed that they had been operating for over three years and that they choose highbrow areas where they could easily track well nourished and endowed men.”
A police source added: “They were boasting to us about how many healthy looking men they have abused through the anus. They said they reject men that are not looking healthy, stating emphatically that they have no business with women.
“After their arrest, we confined them in separate cells so that they would not descend on our male suspects inside the cell.
“However, few days later, one of them raised alarm that the oldest member of the gang who claimed to be a lawyer was having same affair with a member of the gang. When we accosted him, he said the relationship had been going on since they have been operating as a gang.
“Our greatest problem now is that some members of the devilish gang have escaped and we strongly suspect that they must be carrying on with their devilish criminal acts wherever they are.
“We are spreading our dragnets and we are sure that very soon, we will round all of them up. I must state that if not for the swiftness with which our Commissioner directed the operation, many men in Lagos state would have been endangered species by now.”
The 82 Division Nigerian Army which is located in Enugu State is charged with the responsibility of securing its Area of Responsibility (AOR) covering the South Eastern and South Southern flanks of Nigeria and also ensuring that the borders located in its AOR are secured.
A woman has been found dead after she was stabbed inside the 82nd (Airborne and Amphibious) Division of the Nigerian Army, SaharaReporters has gathered.
The 82 Division Nigerian Army which is located in Enugu State is charged with the responsibility of securing its Area of Responsibility (AOR) covering the South Eastern and South Southern flanks of Nigeria and also ensuring that the borders located in its AOR are secured.
According to sources, the lifeless body of the woman said to be wearing hijab was discovered on Friday by the daughter of an army lieutenant who was taking food to her father.
The unfortunate incident was said to have caused panic and apprehension among soldiers and civilians staying within the areas.
“A lifeless body of a lady who was stabbed by an unknown person was discovered yesterday in 82 division barracks,” one of the sources said.
“The body was discovered by the daughter of an Army lieutenant whom was taking food to her dad who is working on their farm somewhere around the division officers quarters
“And the knife used in killing the same lady was dropped off close to the body while the body was wrapped with the hijab she was wearing.”
SaharaReporters’ efforts to get the reaction of the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful, as its spokesperson, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu could not pick his calls
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President Bola Tinubu on Saturday assured Nigerians that his administration would continue to promote Open and Distance Learning (ODL) to improve access to higher education in the country.
He gave the assurance at the 13th Convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on Saturday in Abuja.
Tinubu, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Executive Secretary, the National Universities Commission (NUC), Dr. Biodun Saliu, said the deployment of the ODL approach in tertiary education was the major link to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
He said: “We will continue to do this in order to improve quality, access and affordability.
“Government is, therefore, committed through the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC to provide the enabling environment to ensure a good delivery of this mode of education in Nigeria.”
The Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, said the university had maintained its leadership role in promoting ODL across the African continent.
This, Peters said, necessitated the re-election of the institution as the 1st Vice-President on the Board of the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) during the seventh Triennial Conference and General Assembly held in Kenya.
He said: “The university continues to contribute significantly to Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) initiatives. The ACDE is a continental and leading organisation of African universities in ODeL and other higher educational institutions.
“We take pride in offering education that is both flexible and qualitative, yet affordable and accessible.
“We prioritise equity and equal opportunities in education at the university level, striving to widen access and promote lifelong learning.
“Since inception, NOUN has provided scholarships to about 83 inmates in correctional centres, exemplified by a current PHD student in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.
“From a very humble beginning, the university has grown in leaps and bounds. We have brought smiles to many people who had thought university education was beyond them. Our student enrolment figures have increased.
“Our programme offerings have also increased. From about 1,230 students in 2003, the student population has now grown to about 170,000 active students in 2024 and over 100,000 alumni, straddling important sectors of our economy.”
