Standup9ja - Kaduna state security council reviews situation in 3 LGAs under curfew, warns rumour mongers

Standup9ja - Kaduna state security council reviews situation in 3 LGAs under curfew, warns rumour mongers

The Kaduna State Security has warned people spreading false rumours of impending attacks on communities, to desist forthwith or be handled decisively. 

 

In its review of the situation in three local government areas of the state that are under curfew, the council, in a statement issued Saturday by Samuel Aruwan, Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, noted the destablising activities of some rumour mongers.

“The council received reports of a spike in false stories of attacks and killings.

“These appear tailored to promote panic within communities, create fear and provoke a spiral of reprisals and vengeance.

“If any individual or community is attacked, the correct and lawful procedure is to report to traditional rulers and the police.

“The police have the statutory duty to record the incident, investigate and ascertain its veracity and take steps to establish the identity of victim and perpetrator, amongst others,” it said.

The council therefore warned those spreading false stories and images of attacks that they would incur the full wrath of the law if caught.

It however observed that security agencies had taken actions aimed at preventing attacks and stabilising the situation in Jema’a, Kaura and Zangon-Kataf Local Government areas.

It said council welcomed the efforts of security agencies in thwarting attacks and helping to foster a growing sense of safety. (NAN)

Standu9ja - Brings You A New OnLine TV

Standu9ja - Brings You A New OnLine TV 

BossTv is an online TV that gives you the latest in entertainment, politics, gossips and so many more. Follow them @BOSSTVNG or what's app 08065165868. #BossTV #YouAreLive 

Standup9ja - AU collective withdrawal plan from ICC suffers setback as Nigeria kicks against it

The plan by members of African Union (AU) to collectively withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) may suffer a setback as Nigeria and some other countries objected the proposal.

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Addis Ababa.

Onyeama explained that there was a strategy adopted by AU for collective withdrawal from the ICC which Nigeria did not subscribe to.

The minister said that when the issue came up during a meeting, several countries kicked against it.

He said Nigeria and others believed that the court had an important role to play in holding leaders accountable, hence Nigeria fully stood by it

“Nigeria is not the only voice agitating against it, in fact Senegal is very strongly speaking against it, Cape Verde, and other countries are also against itthey (AU) do was to set up a committee to elaborate a strategy for collective withdrawal.“And after, Senegal took the floor, Nigeria took the floor, Cape Verde and some other countries made it clear that they were not going to subscribe to that decision,” he said.

According to him, a number of countries also took the floor to say that they needed time to study it before they acceded to that position.

He said that Zambia, Tanzania, Liberia, Botswana and host of others were not willing to withdraw from the court.

While faulting AU position on ICC, Onyeama stressed that each individual country willingly acceded to the 1998 Rome Statue on the setting up of the court.

“Each country free and willingly acceded to the Treaty, and not all of the members of the AU acceded, each country acceded individually exercising its own sovereign right.

“So each country, if they want to withdraw has the right to do that individually,

“The issue is that the AU which was not a party to the Rome Statues which established the court, should not be developing a strategy for a collective withdrawal for something that each country entered into individually.

“Those who feel they want to withdraw should do that individually.”

NAN reports that in what seems to be a continental domino effect, three African states in 2016 publicly declared their intention to withdraw from the court.

The countries include Brundi, South Africa and The Gambia, with the reports that Namibia, Kenya and Uganda were contemplating withdrawing from the ICC

 The court has repeatedly been criticized by African states as an inefficient, neo-colonial institution of the Western powers to try African countries.

This argument is supported by the fact that nine of the ten situations under investigation, with three others under preliminary investigations, involve African countries.

However, as noted from a social shorthand by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), “the rift is often caused by a neat difference in priorities.

“Where one gives more importance to peace processes, while the other gives more weight to obtaining [international] justice.”

African state parties to the Rome Statute make up the biggest regional membership, comprising 34 of the 124 members.

From 2009, African countries have called for collective withdrawal from the ICC but some countries have pushed back.

Standup9ja - AFCON: Defending champions Ivory Coast must beat Moroccco to make last eight

Standup9ja - AFCON: Defending champions Ivory Coast must beat Moroccco to make last eight

African Nations Cup holders Ivory Coast must beat Morocco to secure progress to the last eight when they meet at the ongoing tournament in Gabon later on Tuesday at Oyem.
The Ivorians could be the next major casualty at this year’s tournament unless they can get the better of Morocco and their former coach Herve Renard in their last Group C match.

Failure to do so will see them follow hosts Gabon and pre-tournament favourites Algeria out of the door.

Ivory Coast were in a similar position two years ago when they also drew their opening two games but then went on a winning run that took them to the title.

“Don’t worry we’ll do it again,’’ promised fullback Serge Aurier after their last draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday.

DR Congo are top on four points and are expected to see off Togo, on one point, in Port Gentil to go through as group winners.

Morocco, in second spot, have three points, one more than the Ivorians.

Since departing the Ivory Coast, who he led to the 2015 Nations Cup title, Morocco coach Renard has already had one reunion with his former charges in a World Cup qualifier in Marrakech in November which ended in a 0-0 draw.

On Monday, Senegal, who had already secured top place, rested key players as they drew 2-2 with Algeria in Franceville, while Tunisia, who needed just one point to take second spot, comfortably beat Zimbabwe 4-2 in Libreville.

Standu9ja - N19bn armsgate: Court Affirms Dasuki’s Bail, adjourns Trial to February 24, 2016

Standu9ja - N19bn armsgate: Court Affirms Dasuki’s Bail, adjourns Trial to February 24, 2016

An Abuja High Court has again reaffirmed the bail granted former National Security Adviseer, Colonel Sambi Dasuki and five others in the arm deal trial involving $2.1bn.
Justice Baba Yusuf reaffirmed the bail on Dasuki on the ground that he was entitled to it and having being admitted to same since 2015 when the federal government brought criminal charges against him.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier today re-arraigned the former National Security Adviser (NSA), former Governor of Sokoto, Attahiru Bafarawa and four others over diversion over N19 billion.

Dasuki and Bafarawa were re-arraigned before Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf of an FCT High Court alongside former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, former Director of Finance at the Office of NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, son of Bafarawa, Sagir Attahiru and the Bafarawas' firm, Dalhatu Investment Limited.

The EFCC in the 22-count charge accused the six defendants of diverting over N19 billion belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria from the accounts of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). They pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Thereafter, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) urged the court to allow the trial to go ahead from tomorrow in line with the provision of Section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) which held that upon arraignment, trial shall continue on a day-to-day basis. The defence counsel had suggested March 13th for commencement of trial.

"Because of the illegality of the suggestion, I urge your Lordship not to give 13th of March", Jacobs said.

However counsel to Dasuki, Ahmed Raji (SAN) objected to the application citing that the date is not convenient because the second case involving Dasuki before the same court had earlier been fixed for same date (January 25th).

Bafarawa's counsel, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) urged the court not to, because of the day-to-day provision in the ACJA, disregard Section 36 of the Constitution that provided for fair hearing.

Counsels to all the defendants also applied for the bail conditions granted to the defendants before Justice Peter Affen when they were earlier arraigned to continue.

Jacobs, in objecting to the bail application of Dasuki, submitted that since there was no record to show that Dasuki has for one day enjoy any bail condition, but has always been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), "the court should not act in vain".

Dasuki's counsel told the court that the fact that the DSS has decided to continue to keep Dasuki in custody against the ruling of the court and that of the ECOWAS court should never be used as a basis for the court not to reaffirm the bail terms.

 He said his continuous detention is "extraneous".

The court further held that March 13th is too far for the commencement of trial and adjourned the matter to February 24th for trial to commence.

Standu9ja - Niger State gives tanker fire victims N28m relief materials

Standu9ja - Niger State gives tanker fire victims N28m relief materials

Niger Government has distributed relief materials worth N28 million to victims of tanker fire in Tegina, Rafi Local Government Areas of the state.

Alhaji Ibrahim Inga, Director-General, State Emergency Management Agency, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Tuesday.

The tanker fire incident, which occurred on Dec. 2, claimed 18 lives, injured five and destroyed property worth millions of naira.

Inga, who described the incident as unfortunate, noted that the relief materials was not a compensation but government intervention to cushion effect of the disaster.

“What we are doing is not a compensation, it is an intervention. When ever such disaster happen, we look at the severity of the damage done and assist the victims,” he said.

He said the items distributed, include; cement, rice, maize, zinc, roofing nails, textile, Maggie, salt, vegetable oil and palm oil.

The director-general advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the relief materials and cash to better their lots.

Inga, however, called on the drivers of articulated vehicles to obey speed limit to avoid future occurrence.

Standup9ja - NYSC deploys 2,600 Batch B corps members to Oyo State

No fewer than 2,600 2016 Batch B stream 11 corps members will undertake the three-week orientation at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, Iseyin, Oyo State. 

Mr Simeon Bankole, the Head of Press and Public Relations Unit of NYSC in the state, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday that the orientation course would hold from Jan. 24 to Feb. 13.

Bankole said, however, that the swearing-in of the corps members would be held on Jan. 26.

He said that Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State would preside at the occasion, while Justice  Munta  Abimbola, the state’s Chief Judge, would administer the oath of allegiance on the corps members.

Bankole urged Oyo State residents, especially the transport unions, to extend their hands of fellowship to the corps members, adding that many of the corps members were visiting the state for the first time.

NAN reports that corps members will now be enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to enable them to access quality healthcare. (NAN)

 

Standup9ja - Singer Madonna defends “blowing up the White House” remark

Standup9ja - Singer Madonna defends “blowing up the White House” remark

Pop singer Madonna, who had said in a profanity-laced speech at Saturday’s Women’s March in Washington, D.C., that she had thought about “blowing up the White House,’’ stressed on Sunday that she was speaking metaphorically. 

Madonna’s speech, which was criticised on social media, led some television networks to abruptly stop their live feeds of the march.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the march drew hundreds of thousands of people in demonstrations across the U.S. to protest the election of Donald Trump as president.
“I am not a violent person,’’ the singer songwriter said on Instagram.

“I spoke in metaphor and I shared two ways of looking at things — one was to be hopeful, and one was to feel anger and outrage, which I have personally felt.’’

The 58-year-old led the crowd on Saturday in chants of, “Yes, we’re ready’’ to take on policies promoted by Trump, who alienated many women during the election campaign.

He had made comments about rivals’ attractiveness and promised to outlaw or diminish abortion rights.

Trump’s comments in a decade-old video declaring that women would allow him, as a celebrity, to kiss and grope them without their consent further outraged many women.

But Madonna preceded the chants with coarse words for critics of the march.

“To our detractors that insist that this march will never add up to anything, fuck you,’’ the pop star said.

She then repeated the expletive.

Her words drew immediate criticism on social media.

On YouTube, where the speech was posted live and in recorded formats several users called the singer “evil.’’

Others expressed outrage over her comment that she had thought about blowing up the White House. On Twitter, some users demanded that she be investigated for making terrorist threats.

Turnout for Saturday’s march was unprecedented, as organisers took credit for mobilising five million marchers worldwide.

Official crowd estimates for the Washington centerpiece of the demonstration were not available, but turnout in the nation’s capital clearly exceeded the 200,000 projected in advance by organisers.

The march filled long stretches of downtown Washington around the White House and the National Mall. (Reuters/NAN)

Standup9ja - Nigerian-born WYO President-General assumes office Monday

  
Adeniyi Adeyemi Resumes Office Today
 
Nigerian-born Adeniyi Adeyemi, the newly elected President-General of  the World Youth Organisation,  would on Monday (Today) assume duty at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. 

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday (Yesterday) by his spokesperson, Adeola Badru, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN)  in Ibadan.

NAN reports that the WYO is the youth organ of the United Nations Organisation(UN).

Adeyemi, who would lead the affairs of youths across the globe for the next five years, would  be received by diplomats, government officials, heads  of missions as well as Civil Societies and NGOs

Adeyemi  stated that his first assignment  on assumption of office would be to seek the approval of the Security Council to appoint 967 nominees that would  work with him across the globe.

He said he had commenced official duty upon election by establishing five organs for the organisation–General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship and Secretariat.

“ The 967 nominees will work with my office across the globe.


“ This will enable the organisation to  function effectively and bring coordination across the world,’’ he said.

Among the positions to be occupied are the Chief of Staff to the President- General, Principal Secretary, Envoys, Special Representatives and Senior Special Advisers.

Others are Senior Special Assistant, Personal Assistant, Head of Parastatals and Agencies.
Adeyemi  said the listed officers would enable  him to touch every lives across the world to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) before 2030.

NAN reports that  Adeyemi recently won the admiration of UN workers and leaders, when he spearheaded the passage of the   Youth Empowerment Schemes bill into law.

“The scheme will make provision for adequate compensation to all categories of youth workers  in the public and private sectors and their dependants.

“This will cater for incidence of injury, sickness, disability or death arising in the course of employment,” he said.

NAN recalls that Adeyemi  was elected as the new WYO at a World Youth Conference held on Nov. 12, 2016, in New Delhi, India.

He had contested the election with nine others and won with 1,679 votes, while the first runner up from the U.S. secured 501 votes.

Adeyemi was a former aide of the eighth and former United Nation’s Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, before his new position.

The new WYO President was a graduate of Agronomy from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso in Nigeria, and Accounting from the Western University of Ontario in Canada.

Adeyemi,  a Chartered Accountant, was the former Accounting Officer to the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade. (NAN)

Standup9ja - Buhari releases N375m for pupils’ feeding in 5 states

Standup9ja - Buhari releases N375m for pupils’ feeding in 5 states

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has released over N375 million to feed almost 700,000 primary school pupils in five states.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Acting President, Laolu Akande, said yesterday that the fund was last week released to Anambra, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ebonyi states to cover the feeding for 10 school days.

He stated: “The sum of about N375, 434, 870 has just been released and paid to 7,909 cooks in those states for the feeding of a total of 677, 476 primary school pupils.

“Ogun State got a total of N119, 648, 900 paid to 1.381 cooks to feed 170, 927 pupils. Ebonyi State got N115, 218, 600 paid to 1.466 cooks to feed 164, 598 pupils. Anambra State got N67.5m paid to 937 cooks to feed 96,489 pupils. Oyo State got N72.2m paid to 1437 cooks to feed 103, 269 pupils. Osun State got N867,370 paid to 2688 to feed 142, 193 pupils.”

Akande said later this week, the figures would go up when Zamfara and Enugu states are expected to be paid N188.7 million and N67.2 million respectively. 

“In Zamfara, the sum would be paid to 2,738 cooks to feed 269, 665 pupils. And in Enugu, the sum would be paid to 1128 cooks to feed 96, 064 pupils. By then, over N631 million would have been released so far in 2017 for school feeding in 7 states, paid to 11,775 cooks and meant to feed over one million primary school pupils-exact number of pupils by then would be 1, 043, 205,” he said.

On the N-Power scheme, Akande said the process of payments of beneficiaries had advanced in all but two states.

Regarding the Conditional Cash Transfer, Akande said payments continued in the nine pilot states of Bauchi, Borno, Niger, Kogi, Cross Rivers, Osun, Oyo Ekiti, and Kwara.

Standup9ja - Nigerian Troops Capture Foreign Boko Haram Terrorist, Kill 15 In Rann

Standup9ja - Nigerian Troops Capture Foreign Boko Haram Terrorist, Kill 15 In Rann

A Boko Haram terrorist suspected to be a foreigner has been captured by Nigerian troops in Rann, Borno State.

The suspect not yet identified by Nigerian military authorities, was among the ban of terrorists that staged an attack on Rann, the location of the Internally Displaced Persons Camp, that was accidentally hit by Nigerian Air Force jet on Tuesday.

The attack was a bad adventure for the terrorists as fifteen of them were killed by Nigerian soldiers.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, confirmed the killing and capture of the terrorists in Rann on Friday, when he paid an operational visit to troops of 3 Batallion.

Buratai said the insurgents came again to the town in two gun trucks on Thursday at about 6p.m. to attack, but were repelled by the soldiers, who killed 15, while others escaped with one gun truck.

He added that the troops recovered the other truck with weapons, including one General Purpose Machine Gun, three AK47 and ammunitions.

Buratai recalled that the Tuesday’s incident, the Air Force component of the Operation Lafiya Dole based on intelligence that the terrorists had infiltrated Rann with intent to attack, deployed the rockets.

He, however, regretted that the weapons mistakenly hit IDPs camps in the town, killing over 50 civilians and wounding many others.

    “Two of our soldiers were also affected in the unfortunate incident,” Buratai said.

He described the incident as unfortunate and big mistake.

    “We have all learnt lessons from it.

    “We will take note of this; the issue of coordination and passage of the right information will help to prevent such incident again.

    “It is a mistake which can happen and it has happened in other places. We pray it never happen again,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while addressing the troops, Buratai urged them not to allow the unfortunate incident to demoralise them.

He charged them to remain committed, dedicated and patriotic, assuring them that their efforts would be rewarded.

The chief of army staff also met with elders of the community and condoled with them over the incident.

According to the Commanding Officer of 3 Battalion, Lt.-Col. I. P. Omoke, Rann was one of the last towns retaken from the insurgents on March 22, 2016.

Omoke said since then, the terrorists had made five failed attempts to attack the town but never succeeded.

Rann, the headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno, is 175km from Maiduguri and 8km to the Republic of Cameroon.

NAN

Standup9ja - Tension in Osun as Policemen shoot two UNIOSUN students over ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ allegation

Standup9ja - Tension in Osun as Policemen shoot two UNIOSUN students over ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ allegation

There was tension in Osogbo, capital of Osun State on Saturday as students of Osun State (UNIOSUN) staged a protest over the shooting of 2 students of the university, Kazeem Adesola and Ibrahim Ajao by some policemen from the headquarters of Zone 11 of the Nigerian Police Force controlling Osun, Oyo and Ondo states.

There was tension in Osogbo, capital of Osun State on Saturday as students of Osun State (UNIOSUN) staged a protest over the shooting of 2 students of the university, Kazeem Adesola and Ibrahim Ajao by some policemen from the headquarters of Zone 11 of the Nigerian Police Force controlling Osun, Oyo and Ondo states.

Daily Trust correspondent gathered that the students were playing football at a pitch off-campus around Oke-Baale when the policemen came in mufti and accused some of the students of involving in internet fraud also known as Yahoo-Yahoo (YY).

A student who was at the scene when the incident happened spoke with Daily Trust on condition of anonymity.

He said the policemen were in the habit of harassing and exploiting the students and that the attempt by the students to resist the harassment on Saturday led to the shooting.

“We were playing football when they came. They always come like that to arrest students here. They would say that we are involved in Yahoo-Yahoo and they would seize our laptops and phones.

“They would collect money on the pretext of bail. But we resisted them on this last one. Within a twinkle of an eye, the policemen started shooting.

“When the policemen started shooting, we ran away but the bullet hit two of us and they were rushed to hospital. The bullet hit one near his stomach and the bullet hit the second one in his mouth”.

The Commissioner of police in the state, Mr Fimihan Adeoye confirmed the incident and disclosed that the policemen have been arrested and detained and assured that they would fail the full wrath of the law.

The CP said he has ordered a full scale investigation into the matter and cautioned the students of the institution not to take laws into their hands. He also assured the people of Osogbo of their safety.