Osinbajo meets committee on small arms

The Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, is currently in a meeting with members of the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
The agenda for the meeting, as at press time, was still not known, however, there were indications that the committee might be discussing the report recently submitted on its findings.
Among those present at the meeting were the National Security Adviser (NSA) Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtrd.), the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.
Others were the Director General, Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali, DG National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Ahmed Rufai, Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), AVM Mohammed Saliu Usman.
The committee was set up to fast track the process in the fight against illicit proliferation of arms not only in Nigeria but also with ECOWAS member states and development partners.
However, Prof Osinbajo had recently called for enhanced synergy and strategic security policy between Nigeria and neighbouring countries in the war against terrorism and violent extremism in Nigeria and neighboring.

HEDA Petitions Solicitor-General Of Nigeria Over 23 Corruption Cases

The Solicitor-General of the Federation has been asked to provide information on about 23 high-profile cases of corruption transferred to it by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property. 

The cases were transferred in August last year through a presidential directive.

Citing media reports, HEDA said the transfer by the panel was effected sometime in August 2019 but months after that period, the public had been left in the dark on the progress of the cases.

Invoking the Freedom of Information Act, HEDA in a petition signed by its Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju and addressed to the Solicitor-General, Mr Tayo Apata (SAN), said the public deserves to know the status of those case.

In the request, HEDA gave a seven-day notice to the Solicitor-General in accordance with the provision of the FOI Act.

Suraju said, “Since the transfer of these high-profile cases, nothing appears to have been done. 

“HEDA has been watching with keen interest. Nigerians have been waiting since the transfer of the cases but nothing has been done. It is important to know what has happened to these crucial cases.

Spiritualists, hunters kill 40 bandits in Niger

Worried by the activities of bandits in Niger State, the state government has engaged the services of spiritualists and local hunters that killed 40 bandits  terrorising innocent citizens in the Mashegu  Local Government Area of the state

It was learnt that in the first operation carried out by the local hunters and led by a 70-year old female spiritualist in Zuguruma, in the Mashegu LGA, saw the killing of no fewer than 40 bandits in an encounter which the villagers said lasted for just 30 minutes.

A commander of the bandits and three others who were said to have gone to town to buy recharge cards and other basic needs for the group were arrested and handed over to the state police command.

One of the villagers simply called Mallam Alhassan, who narrated in Hausa how the operation went, said on approaching the location of the bandits, the woman instructed that the hunters should shoot into the air to draw the bandits out.

“On hearing the gunshots, the bandits were said to have returned fire until they exhaust their bullets and the hunters subsequently descended on them and killed 40 of them,” she said.

She said no casualty was recorded on the side of the hunters.

When contacted the Second-in-Command to the Police Public Relations Officer, Uthman Umar,  said he was making effort to reach the police division in the area where the incident occurred.

Supreme Court Adjourns Zamfara APC Review Application Until March 17

The adjournment was to enable all parties involved in the matter to be served with necessary processes.

The Supreme Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned ruling until March 17, 2020 on the All Progressives Congress application seeking a review of the May 24, 2019 judgment, which nullified the victory of all the party’s candidates at the 2019 general elections in Zamfara State.

The adjournment was to enable all parties involved in the matter to be served with necessary processes.

NEWSBuhari approves new security operation

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, commissioned ‘OPERATION SWIFT RESPONSE’ as a border drill exercise to checkmate the illegal activities of smugglers across our borders.
His spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a statement, explained that this is part of the Federal Government’s effort to ensure food security and improve local production of goods at competitive prices,
The presidency said the border drill has been hugely successful and has led to the interception and seizure of large quantities of foods, materials, minerals and petroleum resources illegally trafficked across our borders.
The President commends the security agencies for a job well done. He, however, finds it disheartening to learn that 295 smuggled petroleum tankers were released without due authorization on 17th December, 2019 by some security officials charged with the responsibility of protecting our borders.
Sequel to this act, the National Security Adviser (NSA) was directed to set up a Board of Inquiry to investigate the crime, and it was recommended to the President that all officials (civilian or security operatives) found to have connived to undermine government’s efforts should be withdrawn from the border drill and severely sanctioned by their respective organizations.
The President has accepted the recommendations and directed the immediate withdrawal and replacement of all those found culpable. He has also directed that their respective organizations should mete immediate appropriate disciplinary actions to them”, the statement added.

We’ve moved Coronavirus patient to better facility now – Lagos govt

The Lagos State Government on Saturday said it had moved the coronavirus patient to a better facility where he would be comfortable.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who made the latest disclosure, said the Italian was currently receiving treatment at the Infectious Disease facility at the Mainland Hospital in Yaba area of the state.

He said, “We were renovating part of the facilities, so we kept him in a single isolation room for his privacy but we’ve subsequently moved him to one of our completed wards which were recently renovated with the full complement of facilities.

He is there now and he is comfortable.

As of this morning, his condition has improved, he hasn’t developed any new symptoms but he still got a mild fever and we would be running tests to see what the situation is with the virus in his body.”

Abayomi, who spoke during a visit to the centre on Saturday, said the patient would be discharged when he has been certified to be okay.

He said, “The patient has been with us for two days now. He arrived here on Thursday and he has been on supportive treatment and he is actually doing very well.

As soon as we get a negative screening, then we will keep him for another two or three days and repeat the test to make sure there are no more virus particles in his saliva and that means he will not be contagious again, then we will release him back into the community.

DSS Claims Buhari Ordered Arrest, Unlawful Detention Of Businessman Who Bought SIM Card Previously Used By Daughter, Hanan

The DSS has now said that it received official letter of instruction from the Presidency dated July 5, 2019 upon which it acted to arrest Okolie.

The Department of State Services has said that the unlawful arrest and detention of a young Nigerian businessman based in Asaba, Delta State, Anthony Okolie, was ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Okolie was arrested at Asaba and later  transferred to the DSS Headquarters in Abuja where he was unlawfully detained for at least 10 weeks for purchasing and using an MTN mobile telephone line previously used but abandoned by Hanan, President Buhari's daughter.

Okolie, through his lawyer, has since sued the DSS, Hanan and MTN for the breach of his fundamental human rights.

He had earlier revealed that DSS officials informed him that Hanan ordered his arrest and that she was contacted three times to back up her claims but failed to show up, prompting the secret police to release the young businessman.

But in twist of events, the DSS has now said that it received official letter of instruction from the Presidency dated July 5, 2019 upon which it acted to arrest Okolie.

In an affidavit deposed to at the Federal High Court, Asaba, where the case is being heard, the DSS said Okolie's purchase and use of the MTN mobile telephone line formerly belonging to Hanan, was a "classified national security issue" upon which basis the security outfit had no option than to arrest Okolie.

Reacting to the latest development, Okolie's lawyer, Tope Akinyode, National President of Revolutionary Lawyer's Forum, said, "The Nigerian constitution made no provision of any kind for first family and the involvement of the Presidency in the matter was a disgraceful deployment of state apparatus for personal gains."

Meanwhile telecommunications company, MTN, has argued that it did not transfer absolute right of ownership of the SIM card to Okolie because it was a national asset, which cannot be personalised.

The matter is scheduled to come up on March 3 before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba for hearing.