Prison is the safest place for Nnamdi Kanu in Nigeria — Judge

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has said that the prison is the safest place in the country for the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

She stated this on Thursday in reaction to the request by Kanu’s counsel that the IPOB leader is ready to face trial if his safety would be guaranteed by the court

Ejiofor told the court that the application to restore the Kanu’s bail so that he could face his trial was filed on April 1.

“We have an application for bail filed on April 1, 2019, the application was served on the prosecution and it is ripe for hearing. “We urge the court to restore his bail on the ground that the court will guarantee his safety when he comes back to the country to continue his trial,” he said.

On his part, counsel to the Federal Government, Labaran Shuaibu, who told the court that he was just seeing the process, opposed to the application. Shuaibu urged the court to adjourn the matter to enable them filed the necessary processes.

 Delivering the ruling, Justice Nyako, who adjourned the matter till Jan. 16, said the only way he could guarantee Kanu’s safety was to keep him in the prison. She said even judges are no longer safe in the country. “Even judges are being abducted in the country. So prison is the only safest place for him,” she said.

Boko Haram: Nigerian Army goes spiritual in war against violent extremism in Yobe

The Nigerian Army today held a religious enlightenment seminar aimed at countering violent extremism in Yobe State, the Northeast and Nigeria in general.

Themed ‘Countering Insurgency and Violent Extremism in Nigeria Through Authentic Religious Enlightenment “, the event brought together religious leaders, traditional rulers, civil society organizations, security operatives and political office holders among others from within and outside the state under one roof to present authentic narratives countering the extremists’ ideology.

Director of Islamic Affairs of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Shehu Garba Mustapha said the religious enlightenment seminar cannot but come at a better time than now and cannot be farfetched from the fact that insurgency and violent extremism is one of the greatest hurdles to peace and progress in any society.

“In continuation with the noble effort of countering the wrong religious ideologies, this religious seminar is aimed at producing appropriate narratives to defeat the wrong ideologies used by leaders of the terrorists and vocational insurgents groups to recruit and indoctrinate their follower from the larger society.

” it is also a fallout of the initial programme on counter-narrative last year which generate enthusiasm from the clerics and leaders of thought in Maiduguri. But due to the fact that the insurgency by Boko Haram is ideological in nature”, Mustapha said.

The Director noted that the seminar will avail both Islamic and Christians clerics the opportunity to identify religious ethos that British brings all faiths together towards achieving harmonious and peaceful coexistence as a catalyst for achieving national cohesion and developmental goals.

Governor Mai Mala Buni, represented by the Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Baba Malam Wali said violent extremism is propagated incapable and misinformed individuals who have limited knowledge of true teachings of Islam and indeed teachings of Christianity.

“In keeping with this, the State Government is resolutely committed to continuing de-radicalization programme which has since been embarked upon by the state Ministry of Religious Affairs”, he stated.

The governor hoped that the participants will take home all the lessons learnt and propagate them among their followers towards achieving the desired objectives.

Religious scholars such as the Chief Imam of Yobe Central Mosque, Ustaz Hudu Mohammed, Reverend Emmanuel Morris Dafi and Sheikh Ibrahim Damaturu who spoke at the seminar unanimously agreed that, there is no alternative to peace and that violent extremism can be fought through the true tenets of Islam and Christianity.

They also called on members of the public to join hands with security forces in defeating Boko Haram insurgents ideologically, while also advising for the training of religious scholars on how best to counter and change the wrong narratives of the insurgents.

Movie Industry: Media guru, Otunba Femi Davies, Makes A Comeback

The media personality and publisher of MetroNewsNg, Otunba Femi Davies, is set to make a come back to the movie industry.

The well known Lagos based journalist has spent well over 25years transversing Lagos Television/Radio Lagos, OGTV, Magnet Media, Oricom Advertising, Today’s Choice Magazine, Hearts Magazine, Ace Weekly, Global Excellence and City People magazine, before serving under the government of Otunba Gbenga Daniel in Ogun State as a Media Consultant to the governor and Director of Organization for Peoples Party Of Nigeria (PPN) before returning to his first love, journalism to berth Ultimate Magazine and later MetroNewsNg a digital news portal.

According to the Ogun State born music/movie and events, promoter, his return to the movie industry is borne out of the realization that the industry is more sanitised now with the advent of social media tools and increment in avenues to recoup money invested in the industry. He opined that income from investments was hitherto limited to whatever the marketer was willing to pay coupled with pirates who were milking the industry dry.



With the advent of social media, producers can exhibit movies at various cinema halls spread across the country, organise professional premieres, enter into contracts with digital platforms, broadcast platforms and the likes to also make income. He also raised the fact that the standard of productions including use of state of the arts equipment is so encouraging now that good and quality standard is now the measurement and expectation across the industry unlike what obtained in the past.

To this end, he is set to produce movies which will hit the market from the end of the year and the first quarter of 2020.

Asked if he is quitting journalism for movie making, the very jovial and mentor to many journalists said, “As a graduate of Mass Communication, I’m rather going back to a part of what I studied, which is the use of mass media to communicate to a large audience with the intent to cause positive changes. With the movies,I seek to entertain, educate, re-orientate, and influence positive attitudes by positively projecting our culture and values. In one word, I will seek to tell our stories our own way not the way foreigners want us to see ourselves”.

Otunba Femi Davies in the past was the brain behind notable Yoruba movies like “Owo Ale”, Ago Meje -7 ‘O Clock’, “Temi Ni Nkem”, “Pink Ladies”, “Alabarin”, “Mase Magbe” “2010 Odun Ayo Mi” shot in Suncity, South Africa amongst other movies.

He has managed top rated acts like Sir Shina Peters, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma and promoted K1 D Ultimate, Adewale Ayuba, Wale Thompson, Dele Taiwo, Lanre Teriba, Musiliu Haruna Ishola, Q.Dot, Small Doctor, Remedies and a long list of others.

He will be hitting location for movie productions in the month of November, which is coincidentally is birth month.

Reps ask Buhari to stop Operation Positive Identification

The House of Representatives has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the planned operation positive identification.

The House, therefore, resolved to mandate the Committee on Army to interface with the Army Chief to develop a people-friendly strategy to combat crimes.

The decision followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu.

Moving the motion, Elumelu described the proposal as “infringement on the rights of Nigerians.”

He said further that it will be “an indirect state of emergency if allowed to take place,” adding that the “Plan contravenes sections Section 217 sub 2(c,d).”

The sections read, “The Federation shall, subject to an Act of the National Assembly made in that behalf, equip and maintain the armed forces as may be considered adequate and effective for the purpose of –

“(b) maintaining its territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land, sea, or air;

“(c) suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the President, but subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly; and

“(d) performance such other functions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.”

Also supporting the motion, the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, said the proposal is not within the mandate of the army.

“It is not part of their mandate, we have the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and we have the security apparatus, unfortunately, we have been under siege by Boko Haram.

“They are simply belabouring themselves with jobs that do not concern them. What defect is it supposed to cure? We have to interrogate this through the committee on Army.”

The Motion was unanimously adopted when put to vote by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.