News

Uzodinma Assures Support To Protesting Youths Against SARS

Published

5 months ago

October 14, 2020

Protesting youths in Imo State that he is with them in their demand that far-reaching reforms be carried out in the Police in Nigeria to bring the operations of the personnel at par with what is obtainable in the civilized world.

The governor, therefore, told the youths to trust him to ensure that all the issues they raised concerning police brutality, unlawful detention of Nigerian youths, harassment, extortion, poor remuneration, and comprehensive reformation in the police are brought to the attention of the powers that be, particularly, President Muhammadu Buhari.

Addressing the #EndSARS protesters at the State Capital Owerri on Tuesday, the governor said he was in support of the peaceful protest to the extent that youths are critical stakeholders in the society and anything that concerns them should be taken seriously because they are leaders of tomorrow.

The Governor thanked the youths for conducting themselves in a manner that did not offend public interest and acknowledged that at the political level they have met and agreed that the compliant of the Nigerian youths are genuine and must be promptly addressed.

He added that preliminary investigations revealed that the relationship between SARS operatives and the youths, including students at the tertiary institutions, has not been cordial.

Governor Uzodimma said disbanding SARS is not the only solution, but that the protest has provided an opportunity for government to look inwards to see what reforms are necessary in the Nigerian Police vis a vis their welfare, remunerations, training, among other things they need to be globally compliant in their mode of operation.

“No nation with its senses will ignore the grievances of the youths because if the nation does so it must have squandered the destiny of that nation. If a nation appreciates the capacity building of her youth population, that nation must have created a better tomorrow for herself,” the governor said and reiterated that, “the matter under contention will be taken very seriously.”

He however enjoined the youths to be their own-man and not to allow anybody, or any political interest, to hijack the protest. He advised them to go about their businesses in a manner that nobody will molest them.

Governor Uzodimma assured the youths of partnership and that his government is working hard to create an enabling environment where every youth will go about their businesses, earning their living genuinely “without unnecessary and undue molestations by any person or group of persons.”

On the call for Nigeria to embark on reform and retraining of the Police the governor said: “Our Police Officers must be trained to be able to match their counterparts all over the world and we are going to do that.”

He reinforced the general notion that the youths are not protesting against the police doing their work, but saying that they should do their work according to international standard. “I am with you on that,” Governor Uzodimma told them.

He assured them that there will be no attacks on them and that nobody will hold the protest against them, reiterating that he has taken their message and will ensure that the message gets to the President of Nigeria who also believes that “the right thing must be done”.

He assured the youths that as the Governor of Imo State “the police must do their job in an ethical manner that will not offend the sensibility of the citizens.”

He used the opportunity to call on Imo youths to work together with him to repair Imo State, saying he is doing everything possible to bequeath to the next generation, “quality youths that will meet the dreams of the founding fathers of State.”

Earlier, the various speakers among the protesting youths who tagged themselves Imo Stars said they are asking not only for the end of SARS operations, but police brutality, justice for youths killed by SARS, prosecution of reckless officers involved in the killing of youths, end to police extortion, intimidation, harassment and unlawful detention of the youths and students of tertiary institutions.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards displayed by the protesters read “End SARS”, “Good cloths don’t make me a criminal”, Stop Police extortion”, “Stop Police Intimidations and Harassments”, “Justice for those killed by SARS”, “Reckless Officers must be prosecuted,” among others.

News

Benue Releases 210 Impounded Cattle To Owners

Published

19 hours ago

February 26, 2021

Chibueze Okoronkwo

Benue State government has released to the owners a total of 210 cattle earlier impounded by the state Livestock Guards Task Force for violating its laws against open grazing in two Local Government Areas.

Commander of the Livestock Guards, Linus Zaki, said that 140 of the cattle were arrested at Mballgh council ward in Makurdi LGA while the remaining 70 bringing the total to 210 were impounded from Ggbajimgba in Guma LGA.

Zaki who handed the seized animals to their owners in Makurdi, encouraged them to respect the state’s law which banned open grazing since 2017, adding that they had fulfilled the requirements for violating the law.

“We can’t stop implementing the law so they (herders) should do the right thing by obeying the law,” the Livestock commander said.

Reacting, the State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Risku Mohammed, who led some members of his executives to include his secretary, Ibrahim Galma and the owners of the cattle to receive the animals appreciated the Benue government for keeping the cattle safe.

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Mohammed admitted that the herders had trespassed the anti-open grazing law of the state as he stressed that some of them were yet to fully understand the law and that was why there were still pockets of violation in different areas of the state.

He appealed for time to enable the association effectively educate and orientate their members about the law, stressing the need for government to provide a pilot ranching for them to learn the rudiments.

On his part, the owner of the 140 animals, Abdullahi Haruna, said he had followed the due process for the release of his cattle and therefore came with vans to evacuate them.

While the owner of the 70 cows, Haro Audu, said his children had herded the cattle into Benue state but appreciated the peaceful release of the animals back to him.

crimewatch

45-year-old man sentenced to death, 10-year imprisonment for murder in Ekiti

Published

19 hours ago

February 26, 2021

Chibueze Okoronkwo

The Ekiti State High Court has sentenced a 45-year-old man, Mohammed Isiaka, to death by hanging for killing one Yakubu Jimoh.

The court, nonetheless, discharged and acquitted two others – Ismaila Okoro, 20, and Awolusi Bidemi, 23.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, said, “The first accused is sentenced to death by hanging for murder on count one; and on count two, he is sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with N20,000 option of fine for unlawful possession of firearms.”

The judge also sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of the Nigerian Army uniform with an option of fine of N2,000.

He, however, acquitted the second and third defendants, saying, “In the case, there was no bit of evidence before me from which it could be inferred that the accused persons conspired to commit the offence of murder.

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“The only option open to me in the circumstance is to hold that the prosecution had not proved the offence of conspiracy beyond reasonable doubt against the accused persons. In the circumstance, the 2nd and 3rd defendants are hereby discharged and acquitted.”

According to the charge, the first accused committed the offence on or about March 27, 2017, at Igirigiri village in Ado Ekiti, when he murdered one Yakubu Jimoh contrary to Section 316 and punishable under sections 319 and 428 (d) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16 of Ekiti State of Nigeria, 2012.

The prosecutor, Mr Gbemiga Adaramola, called six witnesses, while exhibits tendered included a gun, an army belt, a portrait picture, a mask, a human skull and bones, charms, among others.

The second and third defendants, who spoke through their counsel, Sunday Ochayi and Mr Busuyi Ayorinde, called one witness each.

Education

New dates, centres for post-UTME – OAU

Published

1 day ago

February 25, 2021

Samuel Chidiebube Jackson

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, in Osun State, has fixed new dates for its post-UTME screening exercise.

Abiodun Olarewaju, the Public Relations Officer of the University read this in a press statement titled, ‘OAU fixes new post-UTME dates’ on Thursday.

The statement read in part, “All candidates are hereby informed that new dates, which starts from Saturday, 27th February 2021, will be conducted in two centers: Ile-Ife and Abuja.

“The Post UTME Screening Exercise, which will be conducted in Ile-Ife centre, between Saturday, 27th February and Wednesday, 3rd March 2021 will be on OAU campus and its Centre for Distance Learning, in Moro, while the Abuja Centre will hold on Saturday, 6th March 2021 at the JAMB CBT Centre, Bwari, Abuja.

“In view of this, candidates are advised to log in to the https://www.admissions.oauife.edu.ng to print out their Screening Slips which contain actual dates and venues for each of them, beginning from Sunday, 14th February 2021.