Buhari approves joint military, police operations against bandits

 

  
 

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a joint military and police operations specifically targeted at combing  Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara Niger and Sokoto States to rid the areas of bandits.

The President said that surveillance will be improved as more night vision aircrafts havr already being deployed under “Operation Accord’’. The President also appealed to the people and youths of Katsina State to be patient and supportive of the ongoing military operations in the state, while sympathizing with those who are bereaved, injured and lost properties.

President Buhari cautioned against taking to the streets for protest as this could distract the ongoing military operations in the region.He urged Katsina indegenes not to give up on the military.

In a statement signed by Garba Shehu,  the Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity, President Buhari reaffirmed that the nation’s armed forces are fully capable of dealing with the challenges of banditry and terrorism.

TVC

Businessman sues EFCC over alleged human rights violation, demands N100m in damages

 

  Mr Fadi Alloush, a Charcoal Merchant, on Tuesday instituted N100 million suit in the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged or violations of his Fundamental Human Rights.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other respondents in the suit are the Chief Executive of Coco Dor Nigeria Ltd, Mr Houssam Nasreddine and his company, who were sued for N50 million in damages over alleged blackmail.

Mr Olukunle Kamisi, the claimant’s counsel, informed the Court that the EFCC unlawfully arrested and detained his client over a complaint that was supposed to be a commercial civil transaction between his client and his business partner, Nasreddine.

Kamisi alleged that the EFCC failed to conduct diligent investigation before arresting his client and that the available documents and facts presented by his client clearly showed that the complaint of advanced fee fraud by Nasredddine was false.

He said that that his client and Nasredddine, had before EFCC’s arrest, been to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Alagba, Lagos State, where he agreed to return for further discussion on the reconciliation of account between them.

Kamisi said that the detention of Alloush in the custody of EFCC between March 9 to 17 was purely civil commercial transaction between him and Nasredddine.

He said that the move by Nasredddine to report the matter to the EFCC was to frustrate the reconciliation attempt of FCID, Alagba,adding that Nasredddine”s statement before the EFCC showed that both parties were business partners. Kamisi said that the EFCC acted in contrary to the law establishing it and does not have the power to entertain a civil matter and cannot act as debt collector.

  He said that his clients business was destroyed during the arrest and detention while his charcoal trucks were also seized. Kamisi urged the court to award N100 million as damages against the EFCC for unlawful and reckless violation of the applicant’s right to Personal Liberty and N50 million against Nasredddine.

  He prayed the court to restrain EFCC from harassing, molesting and embarrassing his client.N GIn his response, Counsel to the EFCC, Dr Benedict Ubi, informed the court that the commission acted in accordance with the law.

  Ubi, however, prayed the court for an adjournment to enable the commission file a reply on point of law to the further affidavit of the applicant. Justice Iyabo Yerima, granted his prayer for an adjournment fixed July 1 for continuation,

JAMB, varsities adopt 160 as UTME cut-off mark

 

  The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Tuesday said it had pegged the cut-off marks of 2020/2021 admission for universities at 160, while that of polytechnics was pegged at 120. Also, the cut-off point for colleges of education and innovative institutions was fixed for 100, while institutions were warned not to charge more than N2,000 for screening.

JAMB further disclosed that 612,557 candidates were offered admission in 2019 while about 510,957 admission spaces were not used by tertiary institutions in the same year. The Registrar and Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, stated these in his speech read at the 2020 policy meeting on the admission for the 2020/2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

Oloyede in his speech stated that only 1,157,977 candidates had the required five credits with English and Mathematics that sat for the UTME held in 2019. He said, “Out of 1,157,977 candidates, who sat for UTME in 2019, about 612,557 were admitted.”

However, the Spokesman of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, told The PUNCH how the cut-off points were arrived at. He said, “The institutions have submitted their cut-off points already from the pool of their submissions. It was like a vote. Over 100 submitted 200 and above as cut-off point, some submitted 180 and above, while a chunk submitted 160 and above.”

 At the event, the Minister of State (Education), Emeka Nwajiuba, said JAMB and tertiary institutions could take advantage of the current situation and consider candidates with SSCE and other qualifying results of previous years to proceed with 2020/2021 admission process.

  Nwajiuba also listed conditions to be satisfied before the reopening of schools that were shut down to contain the spread of COVID-19. He directed JAMB and tertiary institutions to proceed with the conduct of 2020/2021 admissions scheduled to commence in August based on the guidelines released by JAMB.

Sen. Ajimobi To Serve As Acting APC National Chairman After Oshiomhole Suspension Verdict

 

   The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday elevated Sen. Abiola Ajimobi to serve as its acting National Chairman after the Court of Appeal upheld the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole.

  Sen. Ajimobi was the party’s Deputy National Chairman for the southern region and is a former Governor of Oyo state. In a statement signed by party spokesman Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu late Tuesday, the APC said its National Working Committee (NWC) had been guided by the party’s legal department in line with the provisions its constitution.

  “According to Section 14.2. (iii),of the APC constitution, the Deputy National Chairman, North/South ‘Shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone’,” the statement said.

The Court of Appeal, earlier on Tuesday, had upheld the suspension of erstwhile National Chairman, Oshiomhole, by an Abuja High Court.

  Ruling on the interlocutory appeal filed by Comrade Oshiomhole, the appellate court upheld the decision of the Federal Capital Territory High Court delivered by Justice Danlami Senchi which in March ordered the suspension of Oshiomhole as well as restraining him from parading himself as the National Chairman of the party.

 CHANNELS

Nigeria Records 490 New Cases Of COVID-19, 31 More Deaths

 

   The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday said Nigeria has recorded 490 new cases of the novel coronavirus and an additional 31 deaths linked to the virus.

The new figures put total infections in the country at 17,148. Although 5,623 persons have been successfully treated and discharged, 455 casualties have been recorded to the virus, according to the NCDC.

In the latest reporting, Lagos state posted 142 new cases, while the Federal Capital Territory contributed 60.

Other states with new cases include Bayelsa (54), Rivers (39), Delta (37), Oyo (30), Kaduna (26), Imo (23), Enugu (19), Gombe (11), Ondo (10), Bauchi (8), Ogun (7), Borno (6), and Benue (1).