Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised those who are raising eyebrow over President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to submit his academic credentials to the electoral body, to go to court.

Reacting to the critics today, Friday, the chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, said that there is still room for legal redress if anyone who is in doubt of claims by candidates in the 2019 elections.

“Any person with reasonable ground to believe that any information on form CF001 submitted by a candidate contains incorrect or false claims is at liberty to file an action against such candidate at the federal high court or the high court of a state or FCT,” Mr Yakubu said while addressing a press conference.

“While the current exercise is limited to candidates for presidential and national assembly elections, the personal particulars of those contesting in governorship and state assemblies elections will be published on November 9, 2018, one week after the close of submission of nominations by political parties.”

Buhari, who is seeking for a second term in office had attached an affidavit, insisting that the Nigerian Army,f which he served and retired as a major general, are in the possession of his academic credentials.

A similar scenario played out during the 2015 presidential election but many viewed it as an attempt to frustrate Buhari who was a major contender in the election.

When a legal suit was slammed on Buhari, who was then a presidential candidate, compelling him to produce his certificates, the president hired over a dozen of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to defend his claims. He contested the election and came victorious. Those who initiated the legal redress withdrew their case.

A civil society group in Nigeria, known as Coalition of Nigerian Media and Civil Society Groups (CNMCSG), has mourned a Saudi Arabian journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed on October 2 allegedly by the Saudi authorities in its Turney’s consulate.

The group, whose members staged a peaceful demonstration at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Abuja, the Nigerian Federal Capital today, Friday, expressed shock over the brutal murder of the journalist even as it commiserated with his family and friends as well as the Saudi Arabian people.

“We are gathered here to tell the people of Saudi Arabia that you deserve better. You deserve better than a blood thirsty government that kills its citizens at will, and with total impunity.”

In a statement jointly signed by the leaders of the group, Peter Nkanga and Chido Onumah, the group said that no human being should ever have to face such a bestial death.

“Jamal did not deserve to die, let alone in the one place where he should have felt safest in a foreign land – the Saudi Arabia Consulate.

“Let us think about it critically. Do we know how many people have died in similar circumstances at Saudi Embassies and Consulates around the world?”

The group stressed that Jamal Khashoggi’s blood is crying for Justice, adding that it is for that reason that members of the group have risen up to tell the Saudi government that injury to one is injury to all.

“The world abhors the evil perpetrated against Jamal. We are here to say Jamal’s life and death will never be in vain. His blood will keep speaking for generations to come and his legacy will forever remain.

“We are here to demand only one thing from the King and the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: The person(s) who gave the order for the bestial murder of journalist, Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi, and the person(s) who carried the order, All of them MUST be brought to account.”

The group also remembered the Nigerian journalists who have also been killed in the line of duty through total impunity, calling on the Nigerian government to put an end to impunity for crimes against journalists.

“This month, 32 years ago, we still remember the murder of journalist, Dele Giwa, killed via a parcel bomb delivered to him on October 19, 1986. That case smacks of government conspiracy.

“We are here to tell the Nigerian government to take into account that in 32 years since Dele Giwa’s assassination, countless murders of journalists have occurred, and not one has been conclusive to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“We therefore call on Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, to do what any conscionable government would do:

“Order the reopening of impartial, independent, and transparent investigations into the murders of all journalists killed in the country and ensure their killers don’t go unpunished.”

The group stressed that when Injustice becomes law, resistance becomes a duty and gave assurance that members of the group will keep holding the governments accountable to the people.

Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla has sounded a warning to Mass Housing developers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to comply with the statutory requirements for their development or lose possession of their lands.

The chairman, who paid a working visit to the FCT Administration today, Thursday, said that intelligence reports and petitions received by the Panel from concerned stakeholders showed that out of the over 300 beneficiaries of mass housing land in the FCT, only 64 developers have completed and signed lease agreement, while 79 percent have failed to comply with statutory requirements and payments.

He said that the total fees collected so far, which amounted to N1, 086,750,000, fell short of what should have been realized by the FCT Administration.

Okoi Obono-Obla expressed concern over reports of fraudulent leasing of land for mass housing development by initial beneficiaries as well as cases of non-payment of rates and fees amounting to billions of Naira.

He said that the report indicated civil servants are complicit in these fraudulent deals that robbed government of billions of naira.

According, the panel was constituted in August 2017 by the Federal Government of Nigeria, pursuant to the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act, CAP R4, LFN, 2004, with a mandate to investigate the assets of private persons and public officers perceived to have engaged in corrupt practices, or in anyway breached the provision of the Code of Conduct.

Obono-Obla said the panel is ready to collaborate with the FCT Administration to recover public funds from the developers who have by their acts of non-compliance to extant regulations and statutory requirements, committed acts of economic adversity. He also indicated the readiness of the panel to expose civil servants who may have possibly collaborated with developers to violate extant rules and procedures.

Part of the recovery activities, he said, will require the lease beneficiaries to appear before the panel at a meeting place agreed with the FCT Administration.

Responding the Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, said that it was good that the panel has zeroed on land administration and by extension, mass housing, with respect to investigating what has gone wrong as well as moving to recover  revenues that have been lost or under collected.

The Minister said that FCTA needs every kobo that is due to it, whether uncollected or collected but not remitted, to make funds available for infrastructure development of the FCT, in line with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said that the FCT Administration will help to fast track the work of the panel by making available the FCDA Conference hall because it is contiguous with all the relevant FCT departments and  has all the facilities and ambience that will make the work of the Committee much easier.

The FCT Minister, underscored the critical place of infrastructure in the development of any modern city, sayings, “In line with the focus of Mr. President and indeed his instruction, we have concentrated in trying to complete major infrastructural projects. The key to Nigeria’s economic development is infrastructure and infrastructure requires massive amount of money. That is why we are very keen in giving you massive support for you to be able to discharge your mandate,” the FCT Minister said

Bello added that funding for the FCTA has shrunk over the years as the territory continues to mature. He said every agency of government is supposed to budget and plan for its requirement, hence the need to go after every kobo that is due to the Administration.

The Federal Government has banned unauthorized acquisition of firearms, drones and broadcast equipment, as part of broad measures to stem the tide of insecurity in the country.
According to the National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Major General Babagana Monguno who spoke today, Thursday at the General Security Appraisal Committee meeting at the Office of National Security Adviser in Abuja,said that  the abuse of social media platforms in addition to the illicit acquisition of controlled items by none state actors have become the major source of insecurity in the country.
He warned those already in possession of these unauthorized items to surrender them to the appropriate authorities in order to avoid the full wrath the law.
“Members of the public are sternly warned against illicit acquisition of controlled items such as firearms, remotely piloted aircraft (Drones) and broadcast equipment amongst others. Accordingly, those with such illegally acquired controlled items are hereby advised to voluntarily surrender them to the appropriate security agencies.”
He cited the recent violence in Benue, Plateau, Zamfara and Kaduna States as a worrying cases of insecurity across the country.

According to him, such crises were fuelled by abuse of social media platforms through fake news, hate speech and incitement as well as illegal possession of controlled items.
General Monguno said that Federal Government is taking all necessary measures to address  the underlying unresolved conflicts and bring all perpetrators to justice.
“The Federal Government is concerned that social media and other communication platforms are now used to exacerbate tension through rumour, hate speech and incitement. Nigerians are reminded that all laws and regulations against hate speech and incitement will be fully enforced to ensure peace, security and freedom for all Nigerians wherever they chose to live.
“In a bid to address these spates of civil disturbances, heads of security agencies have reviewed the internal security situation and resolved to take all necessary measures within the law to curb this violence.”
The NSA stressed that while the government acknowledged the fundamental rights of Nigerians to freedom of expression and association, “it is imperative to note that deliberate acts which directly or indirectly lead to wanton loss of lives and destruction of properties constitute heinous crimes, which will not be tolerated and will be appropriately dealt with in accordance to the law.”
He urged Nigerians to at all times interrogate news and information before broadcasting or sharing with others and consider if it is : factual, logical, promote national interest and peaceful coexistence.
Monguno reminded all traditional leaders, religious leaders, Non-Governmental Organisations and citizens of their role in developing community led Early Warning Systems at local levels.
He said that ONSA has activated its Crisis Response Platform for anonymous reporting of suspicious activities and security incidents even as he advised all citizens to send anonymous reports through SMS to the short code that will be provided for early response.
Present at the meeting were the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-General Tukur Buratai, Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi and Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency (CDI), Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Usman and other representatives of security agencies.