Two prison officers were on Wednesday killed by yet-to-identified gunmen in Okigwe town in Imo State.
ABN TV gathered that the attack which happened at the Umulolo session of the town in the morning caused panic in the area.
Security personnel who do not want to be mentioned told our correspondent that the prison officers were ambushed by their attackers.
The source said, “Two Hilux vans of officers of Imo correctional center were on Wednesday morning attacked by gunmen at Umulolo Okigwe.
“Their attackers threw dynamites on their vehicles. Two officers were killed on the spot while others were rushed to the hospital. While one Hilux van was destroyed by the dynamite the other was not affected.
“The unaffected van has been rescued and returned to base at the command’s headquarters in Owerri. The officers are attached to Operation Search and Flush established by the Imo state government to deal with crimes in the.
“They took off from Owerri in the morning and on reaching Okigwe, the gunmen who were laying siege ambushed them.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the command, Goodluck Uboegbulem, said, “We are still accessing the situation. If you can call me later I will be able to give you the full details.”
Manchester United suffer worst trophy drought in 40 years after Champions League exit
Manchester United’s Champions League exit means they are suffering their worst trophy drought in 40 years; United’s last piece of silverware was the Europa League in 2017 under Jose Mourinho; a win rate of 45 per cent in all competitions this season is their lowest since the 1989-90 campaign
Manchester United suffer worst trophy drought in 40 years after Champions League exit
Manchester United are suffering their worst trophy drought in 40 years after being knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid.
Defeat in Europe means the earliest United can achieve silverware is by winning next season’s League Cup final, which is due to take place on February 26, 2023.
With 2017 the last time United won a major trophy, they are now on their longest drought in four decades. After victory in the 1977 FA Cup, they had to wait until 1983 for their next triumph when they won the competition again.
United’s win rate of 45 per cent in all competitions this season is their lowest since 1989-90.
Manchester United have not won the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013
Since former manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, United have lifted just three pieces of silverware. The FA Cup under Louis van Gaal in 2016, and the League Cup and Europa League under Jose Mourinho the following year.
After the high-profile arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho last summer, United were expected to mount a serious challenge for trophies this season, but they quickly fell behind rivals Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League and now face an uphill struggle to finish in the top four.
May 24, 2017. The last time Manchester United won a major trophy.
April 22, 2013. The last time Manchester United won the Premier League.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, United never went more than three seasons without winning the Premier League title. For those who grew up knowing nothing else but endless success under the Scot, it is therefore understandable to view the current run of eight years following his retirement as a catastrophe.
But for a club and institution the size of United, that’s exactly what it is. Since his departure, United have lifted just three major trophies in nine seasons.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was tasked with restoring United to former glories when he replaced Jose Mourinho in 2018, but a mammoth penalty shootout loss to Villarreal in last season’s Europa League final was the closest he came before eventually being sacked later that year.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November and replaced by Ralf Rangnick after failing to win silverware
Attention then turned to interim boss Ralf Rangnick, but a shock FA Cup defeat by Middlesbrough ended United’s best chance of winning silverware in what has been – to put it mildly – a disastrous 2021/22 campaign.
It is now half a decade since United last won a major trophy – their longest drought in 40 years.
Liverpool waited 30 years for a top-flight title. It will already be 10 if United fall short in the league next season and although it might be a stretch to suggest they are on the same path, history has a strange way of repeating itself.
On current evidence, United’s barren streak looks set to continue for a while yet.
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed a motion filed by leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, for the Director-General of the Department of States Services, DSS to give oral evidence on his state of health.
Nnamdi Kanu
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in the ruling, held that fundamental rights cases are special cases “sui generis” which mode of commencement is affidavit evidence as prescribed under Order 2, Rule 2 of the Fundamental Human Right Enforcement Procedure Rules, 2009.
Justice Taiwo said that though there were various modes of commencement of action, including fundamental right cases, Kanu (applicant) chose to commence his “under the Fundamental Right Enforcement Procedure Rules that stipulate affidavit evidence.”
He ruled that after carefully perusing all the affidavits of the applicant and the respondents before him, he was of the view that there were no irreconcilable conflicts in the affidavits.
The judge, therefore, declined to grant Kanu’s application and was accordingly dismissed.
Taiwo adjourned the matter until April 13 for the hearing of the substantive application.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Justice Taiwo had, on March 7, fixed today for the ruling on Kanu’s motion, filed by his lawyer, Maxwell Opara.
Opara, in the application, prayed the court to direct the DSS DG and the IPOB leader to appear before it to give oral evidence regarding the health condition of the latter.
NAN reports that Kanu, through his lawyer, had, in a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1585/2021, sued the DG of DSS and the office as 1st and 2nd respondents respectively.
He also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 3rd respondent in the suit dated and filed Dec. 13, 2021.
Opara had alleged that the health of his client was deteriorating in the DSS custody, among others.
Opara had filed a motion on notice dated Feb. 14 and brought it pursuant to Section 116 of the Evidence Act.
He argued, in the last adjourned date, that there were conflicts in the counter affidavit filed by the DSS and that only oral evidence of the DG and Kanu could clarify the issue.
“We want to call Kanu and director-general of DSS to testify,” he said.
But the DSS, through its counsel, Idowu Awo, disagreed with Opara.
He argued that while the judge had powers to call oral evidence of parties, Kanu’s lawyer had not shown how the doctors attending to his client were doing “quack” work.
He further argued that merely stating that the medical doctors his office assigned to attend to Kanu were quacks did not amount to conflict.
“It is important to note that the applicant has not denied the above assertion by the respondents neither has he shown by material particulars that the listed medical practitioners are quacks.
“The onus lies on the applicant via a further affidavit,” he said.
He prayed the court to discountenance the application.
“We humbly urge that the application be thrown away and let us go into the substance of the case,” he said.
Also in the counter affidavit dated Feb. 24, Awo argued that it was common knowledge that Kanu was currently standing trial on a 15-count charge bothering on terrorism before a sister court.
He also argued that it was common knowledge that Kanu was earlier granted bail by the trial court, presided over by Binta Nyako, but he jumped bail.
He said he was re-arrested and re-arraigned before the judge. Awo said that there was no court order in existence anywhere “which is to the effect that applicant (Kanu) should have unrestricted access to his personal physician while in the facility of the 1st and 2nd respondents.
“If there is such order, the applicant has the option to produce same in a further affidavit.”
He said that refusal to grant this application would not prejudice Kanu’s case in any way.
The AGF’s lawyer, Simon Enoch, also corroborated Awo’s submission. He said there was no material conflict in the affidavits of fact submitted before the court. He prayed the court to reject Opara’s plea.
A human rights group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA has carpeted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in what it called latest round of forum shopping and targeted political persecution on the most senior South Eastern Political office holder in the current administration, Chief Whip of the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
HURIWA said it is inconceivable that the anti-graft agency will devote a lot of man-hour and resources chasing shadows because it has a preconceived political agenda to demarket the most influential political leader of the National ruling party who is a pole’s position to clinching the prestigious Presidential flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress in a sinister plots to deny the Igbo religion of the historic opportunity of becoming an executive President of a United Nigeria.
“The latest application made by the EFCC praying the Abuja division of the Federal High Court to transfer the fresh trial of former Abia State governor over alleged N 7.1 billion fraud to Lagos State smacks of desperate forum shopping by an agency that is so much in a dead hurry to politically harass the chief whip of the senate to quit his presidential aspiration in favour of the political Godfather of some powerful forces embedded within the hierarchy of the EFCC,” the group said in a statement.
HURIWA also tasked the EFCC to tell Nigerians What the logic is in seeking to transfer the trial of a matter alleged to have happened in Abia State, South East of Nigeria to Lagos State as if the South East has become the outpost of the South West of Nigeria? This is provocative as well as vexatious.”
“We in the civil Rights Community hereby condemns the hierarchy of the EFCC for the undue interest and desperation to terminate the political rise of a phenomenal political leader who had previously been cleared by the nation’s apex court of having anything to do with this politically coordinated and calculated persecution to rubbish the presidential ambition of the most prospective candidate of Igbo origin”.
HURIWA recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on Thursday last week asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to transfer to its Lagos division, the fresh trial of former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and two others in an alleged 7.1 billion naira fraud.
The motion on notice seeking the transfer was brought pursuant to sections 18, 19, 22 and 45 of the Federal High Court Act 2010 and section 93 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The motion prayed for an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja, transferring the case with charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/56/2007 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Orji Uzor Kalu and two others to the Lagos division of the court.
Two others on the motion paper are Jones Udeogo and Sloks Nigeria Limited, an alleged family company of Senator Kalu.
Oluwaleke Atolagbe, counsel to EFCC said the motion was predicated on 5 grounds among which are that the Abuja division of the Federal High Court lacked the requisite territorial jurisdiction to entertain and try the defendants in the instant charge.
Another ground for seeking transfer of the trial was that the charge was preferred against Orji Uzor Kalu, Slok Nigeria Limited and Ude Jones Udeogu at the Federal High Court Abuja sometime in number 2007 by the EFCC, following an investigation by the commission.
The motion further indicated that after taking their plea, the defendant brought an application challenging the competence of the charge and contending that there was no prima facie case against them.
It was also contended that following the decision of the Supreme Court that many of the ingredients of the offences against them occurred in Lagos and even most of the witnesses who are bank workers reside in Lagos, the EFCC applied to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer the matter to Lagos.
Satisfied that many of the ingredients of the offences occurred in Lagos the Chief Judge transferred the case to the Lagos division of the court where the defendants were prosecuted and judgment delivered in the matter.
He, therefore, asked Justice Ekwo to issue an order transferring the trial to Lagos in compliance with the Supreme Court order.
When the matter came on Thursday, Justice Inyang Ekwo said that he would not be able to take the application in view of the approaching Easter holidays.
The Judge consequently fixed May 17, 2022 for determination of the application.
At the proceedings, Prof. Awa Kalu SAN stood for former governor Kalu, Mr Solo Akuma SAN stood for Jones Udeogu while Goddy Uche SAN, stood for Slok Nigeria Limited.
HURIWA said it was worried that the EFCC is seeking to prosecute the Chief whip of the senate twice over the same matter in which a Judge who got elevated to the Court of Appeal chose to hang on as a Federal High Court judge and ended up passing a preconceived verdict against the former governor of Abia State senator Orji Uzor Kalu- a judgment that was torn into shreds by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
As the March 26 date of the APC National Convention draws nearer, a group, Movement for Progressives Development (MPD), has warned members of the party not to allow serving members of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) to be elected as substantive members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
According to the group, electing them into the NWC of the APC may lead to a serious crisis, anarchy, and dissatisfaction.
The group stated this in a statement signed by its Director-General, Comrade Muhammad Ibn Aliyu, Wednesday in Abuja, saying that members of the current CECPC should be prevented from purchasing from any office.
“For the sake of morality, fairness, and transparency, members of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, should not be allowed to purchase any form for any office in the NWC of the APC.
“We are appealing to the Leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari, Progressives Governors’ Forum, National Assembly Caucus, and other caucuses of the party to intervene. No position should be allocated to any serving member of the CECPC, be it from the North-East, South East, South-South, or South-West. They have done their job, and we expect them to go.
“Some of them almost destroyed the party by instigating crisis in some states just to be retained into the NWC. These people should be weeded out by loving members of our great party. Electing them would lead to a serious crisis, dissatisfaction and anarchy; This may lead to a serious crisis,” the group said.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reacted to a viral video showing some male and female corps members dancing suggestively at an unidentified orientation camp.
The video, according to NYSC’s Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, Emeka Mgbemena, goes “beyond the boundary of decency”.
He said, “The attention of NYSC Management has been drawn to a video currently trending on the social media showing Corps Members supposedly in NYSC Orientation camp in very compromising actions that pushed beyond the boundary of decency.
“Management hereby restates that the Scheme is founded on discipline, patriotism and youth-reorientation and will never condone such irresponsible behaviour,” he stated.
Mgbemena added that investigations were still ongoing and that the culprits would be disciplined as a result of their actions.
“Investigation is currently ongoing, and anyone found culpable will be treated in accordance with the bye-laws of the Scheme,” he concluded.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has pledged commitment to prudence and accountability in the deployment of the state’s resources at his disposal.
Uzodimma disclosed this in an interview on Channels Television in Owerri, the state capital, maintaining that he was conscious and has been executing projects that would add value to Imo people.
His words: “We are working through our prudent measures, we are able to identify priority projects that will add value to our people and ensure that economic activities in Imo State are stimulated.
“The contractors are doing well, but we will continue to put pressure to ensure that they are not relaxed – But I’m impressed so far with the quality and quantity of construction going on in the state.”
He pointed out that the quality of the roads under construction were within the design standards, stressing: “It is our usual routine programme to inspect roads and other projects of the state government.
“To also ensure that the construction is according to standard and specifications – and the speed is also there to make sure all the projects are completed within record time.”
On President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Uzodimma said the president’s achievements were unprecedented, adding: “With the level of President Buhari’s accomplishments from 2015 till date, APC has capacity to beat any presidential candidate that the People Democratic Party (PDP) may present next year.”
On his capacity as Imo governor, he maintained that his performance had led to envy of his opponents, saying: “My performance attracted envy and changed the character of political opposition in the state.”
When asked about criticisms of his administration, he said: “In every profession and career, there are bound to be challenges and even our detractors will agree that a lot has happened in Imo State.”
Uzodimma said he faced serious challenges when he assumed duty as governor, adding: “Because of the limited resources at our disposal, we adopted segmented approach and reprioritised our programmes.”
He appealed to Imo people to identify with his administration: insisting: “I have said a number of times that our leaders, who feel offended should to come back, because I am not taking anything personal, but looking at the collective interest of Imo State and its development, as well as the interest of our youths and women.
As we enter the peak of the political season, political observers, analysts and the general public remain curious as to the unfolding drama and the prospective leading actors and possible outcomes of the 2023 elections. It is against this backdrop that a frontline group of eminent Nigerians has identified Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the most qualified and competent Nigerian to lead the country in 2023.
The We Move Group made this submission at its virtual inaugural meeting which drew participation from leading professionals, business people and politicians within Nigeria and the diaspora. The group’s global virtual meeting was to formally unveil its programs which are focused on building a robust nationwide movement to ensure that HE, Professor Yemi Osinbajo is elected president at the next general election come 2023.
Speaking at the event, a prominent politician and lead spokesperson of We Move Group, Mr. Wale Akingbade noted that the decision to endorse the Vice President came after careful deliberations and consultations with decision-makers and opinion leaders from diverse parts of the country.
He said the Group’s endorsement of the Vice President is hinged on Prof. Yemi Osinbajo’s six identified strengths and qualities which include time-proven credentials, competence, character, conviction, compassion and commitment to national unity. Akingbade noted that these are evidence-based reasons that justify the choice of the Vice President to succeed the current president, his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari.
Akingbade gave further credence to the Vice President’s humility and loyalty, by quoting copiously from the recent birthday tribute made by President Muhammadu Buhari who commended Prof. Yemi Osinbajo for working selflessly and sacrificially to bring government closer to the people and placing people at the centre of governance by regularly advocating policies that support human development and puts the welfare and well-being of Nigerians first.
The Group noted that the need for a rounded, competent, and credible candidate with nationwide appeal and acceptance was a fundamental imperative and deciding factor for the next election and the overall future direction of the country.
Mr. Tony Epelle, a distinguished lawyer and convener of the WE MOVE Group noted that to build a new Nigeria, there must be a collective of men and women who are prepared to make the sacrifices to stick together to fight injustice, to fight corruption and to insist on the rule of law as key pillars for building a healthy progressive society.
He observed that the Vice President is a principled leader, with the right people focused and public service credentials to lead Nigeria at a critical time when the nation needs experienced, skilful, stable hands at the helm.
The police, in collaboration with the Ondo State chapter of the Association of Refineries Petroleum Marketers (ARPM), has arrested a notorious gang that specialises in stealing and distributing stolen Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) in the state.
National Chairman of ANRPM Taskforce, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a. Akpodoro, in a statement, said the suspects were intercepted with three fully-loaded Toyota Sequia SUVs along Irele-Ore Road from the coastal areas on the way to their market.
State Chairman of ANRPM, Kehinde Olabisi Rabiat, who coordinated the operation, said the security team acted on credible intelligence.
She noted that Igbokoda and other riverine areas of the state were flashpoints for the illicit acts by petroleum marketers, who she accused of vandalism, products adulteration and marketing.
Rabiat said her team was committed to the war against sundry crimes in the downstream sector, warning that community leaders who connive with criminals to sabotage the Nigerian oil wealth will not be spared.
She commended the police command, led by Oyediran Oyeyemi, for rising to the occasion.
Three SUVs used for the criminal operations and the contents have been impounded by the Ore Divisional Police Headquarters for further investigation, while the drivers are in custody as the investigation continues towards making more arrests.
Oyeyemi, who noted that economic sabotage was a serious offence, stressed that Ondo was not a harbinger of criminals.
He said the police under his command would make the state unattractive for would-be criminals, adding that the war on pipeline vandalism was total.
The Kaduna State Government has directed all political appointees and public servants aspiring for political offices in the 2023 general elections to resign on or before March 31, 2022.
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai
This directive is contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the state government, Balarabe Abbas, who said that the directive for such public office holders to resign their present appointments in the public service is in conformity with the 2022 Electoral Act recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He, therefore, said that such persons have until March 31 to tender their resignation letter to enable them to pursue their political aspirations.
The 2022 Electoral Act specifies that such officers should resign from office 30 days before the party primaries for the post for which they are aspiring.
