Nigerian police have announced the rescue of two Turkish men kidnapped earlier this month in the southeast with five suspects arrested.
The police spokesman in Akwa Ibom State, Deputy Superintendent Okechukwu Chukwu, said in a statement that the two Turkish nationals were rescued on April 19 and that there was no casualty.
“No casualty was recorded during their rescue but five suspects were arrested. No ransom was paid, and investigations are ongoing. The Turks have been reunited with their families.”
The pair, who worked for a construction company, were abducted on April 11 in the town of Eket in Akwa Ibom state. [myad]
The police in Imo State has charged 16 students of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri and Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, respectively for an alleged involvement in cult related activities in the state.
In a statement in Owerri, the state capital today, Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Andrew Enwerem, said that the suspected cultists were arrested on April 14, in a bush in Ihiagwa community in the Owerri West Local Government Area of the state
Enwerem, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, alleged that the suspects were members of a cult group known as of Africa confraternity.
“In a renewed onslaught against the menace of cultism in Imo State, operatives of the state police command on April 14,2017, arrested over 16 suspected cultists in a bush in Ihiagwa in the Owerri West LGA. They are members of the of Africa confraternity. Suspects have been charged to court, accordingly.”
According to the PPRO, three live cartridges and expended SMG ammunition were recovered from the undergraduates.
Enwerem listed the names of the suspects as
Oluwoke Herto , 24, Leader Of the Of Africa
Onyegbule Chukwunenye 24,
Chibueze Okpara, 17
Uzoma Kingsley 25
Chisom Nwosu, 23
Oscar Ojinaka OSCAR, 25
Ebuka Ejekeme
Uchenna Ehum
Christian Ejekeme,
Lucky Anyanwu
Uche Okoro
Chinecherem Okeke
Michael Igbokwe
Chima Agugua
Victor Egbu
Nelson.
The Police spokesperson made it clear that the new commissioner of police in the state, Chris Ezike, is committed to reducing cultism and criminal activities. [myad]
The Chief of Nigerian Army Staff, Lieutenant General. Tukur Yusuf Buratai has given a run-down of how his link, by way of a military training in the Bangladesh National Defence, helped him in organizing officers and men of the Nigerian army to defeat Boko Haram fighters, especially in the North East of the country.
General Buratai, who spoke today, Saturday in Lagos when he received the Bangladesh Army Chief of Staff, General Abu Shafiul Huq, said that the course he underwent in 2008 proved to be very useful in the counter insurgency operations in Nigeria.
He said that the lessons he learnt during the course have been partly responsible for the success being recorded in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists, saying: “the Bangladesh experience in counter insurgency is something that I brought to bear in the efforts to rid Nigeria of Boko Haram since my appointment as the Chief of army staff.”
He advised military personnel across the world to take the issue of insurgency and terrorism seriously because they are difficult battle to overcome.
“Counter insurgency should be utmost importance to army across the world, the army in particular bears the brunt as they confront terrorists in very difficult terrain and indeed, sometimes within the population.
“It is a very, very difficult experience and it will continue to be difficult but it – insurgency can be countered through the use of intelligence. Counter insurgency is at best an intelligence operation.”
The Bangladesh military chief commended the Nigerian army for the success it had recorded in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists.
He said both his country and Nigeria had a lot of experience and knowledge to share in counter insurgency operations, saying that his visit was to explore ways both countries could further strengthen their relationship. [myad]
Sacked Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs. Chinelo Anohu- Amazu, has gone into hiding as the operatives of the Department of State Service raided her office, possibly to force her out of office.
Anohu-Amazu, who was sacked on Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari, was said to have refused to hand over to her successor. She was believed to be still in charge as at Friday despite her disengagement.
It was gathered that when the DSS operatives stormed the PenCom office today, Saturday, Mrs. Anohu-Amazu evaded arrest and went into hiding.
However, the DSS had ordered that she appears in the office on Monday. [myad]
A young parishioner, simply identified as Kachi, was found hanging in the early hours of Friday inside the hall of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Port Harcourt, rivers State capital.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deceased, an indigene of Imo, was a devoted Catholic and former Mass servant of the church.
Some parishioners at the scene told NAN that the deceased was a taxi driver who carried out his business along the popular Aggrey/Borokiri road in the city. They parishioners expressed shock over the incident and wondered why the deceased would commit suicide, especially as he was considered a devoted Christian.
One of the parishioners who identified himself as Magnus, said that late Kachi was popularly known as Fabregas due to his football skills and dedication to youth activities in the church.
“Kachi, until his death, was about 20 years old; unmarried and a hard working young man who was loved. We tried to locate where he lived, but we were unable to do so due to the fact that he moved to a new apartment, which was unknown to us.
“As we speak, nobody has come out to say exactly why Kachi killed himself,” he said.
Another member of the church, who gave her name as Nkechi, alleged that the deceased took his life because the owner of the taxi retrieved the vehicle from him a few days ago.
“Kachi was not married and had been sleeping in the church hall.
“The taxi he drove was on hire-purchase and I learnt that the owner of the vehicle took back the car; maybe because he wasn’t meeting up with conditions of their agreement.
“I learnt that he took his life out of frustration caused by the seizure of the vehicle,” she said.
The Rivers Police Command had yet to confirm the report, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Omoni Nnamdi, did not answer calls or replied to messages sent to his cell phone by NAN.
The church authority has also not commented on the development.
Meanwhile, the corpse of the deceased has been taken to an undisclosed morgue in Port Harcourt. [myad]
The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has been elected as the new Chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administrators (AAMA).
This is one of the decisions reached at the just concluded third conference of the association with the theme: ‘Sustainable Use of Africa’s Oceans and Seas, attended by 34 African countries in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Mr. Bashir Jamoh, who addressed media shortly after the event, said that the NIMASA Director General would pilot the affairs of AAMA for a period of one year while South Africa retains the position of secretary.
Peterside, took over from Mr. Sobantu Tilayi, the acting Chief Executive Officer of South African Maritime and Safety Agency (SAMSA), who has been the acting Chair of the association since 2013.
At a closing session, Tilayi, the outgoing Chairman described Peterside as a committed and dedicated technocrat that will, no doubt, take maritime administration to a higher level.
Many other participants expressed optimism in Peterside’s leadership ability to improve on the fortunes of the continent through concerted maritime collaboration that will attract interest of African states through their various Maritime Administrations (MARADs).
Within the last one year, Peterside has been able to improve on inter agency and inter government cooperation in the fight against piracy resulting to a reduction in incidences of piracy and sea robberies.
NIMASA under his watch has broaden the scope of maritime administration in Nigeria with an approval for regional headquarters to be sited in strategic maritime locations in the country including Port Harcourt. [myad]
The Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to make neighbourhood watch part of the current whistle blower policy that had given the war against corruption the necessary bite.
In a statement today in Abuja, the Group encouraged the government of Buhari to increase the scope of the policy to include neighborhood watch schemes and provide worthy incentives to people who blow the whistle in order to encourage others to join in the vanguard.
The statement, signed by BMSG Protem Coordinator, Hon. Austin Braimoh and Secretary, Chief Cassidy Madueke, called on the National Assembly to fast track the passage of the Whistleblowers Bill.
“once the bill is passed into law, it will provide a legal backbone for the sustainable success of the policy and the protection of whistleblowers.”
It said that the whistle blower policy would serve as an instrument for unearthing public funds that were stolen as well as enhancing the revenue generation profile of the Federal Government, including the enthronement of financial discipline and handling of public funds by government officials and agencies.
“Going by the huge amount of local and foreign currencies that were stolen but found by the EFCC, there is no doubt that the Federal Government has additional funds to implement people-oriented programmes.” [myad]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has established a Forex widow for investors and exporters tagged: “Investors’ & Exporters’ FX Window.”
This is coming, today, Friday, two weeks after opening a special Forex window for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to enable SMEs import eligible finished and semi-finished items.
A circular issued by the CBN today said that the purpose of the window is to boost liquidity in the forex market and ensure timely execution and settlement for eligible transactions.
The circular, signed by the Bank’s Director in charge of Financial Markets, Dr. Alvan Ikoku, listed eligible transactions under the new window to include invisible transactions such as loan repayments, loan interest payments, Dividends/Income Remittances, Capital Repatriation, Management Service Fees and Consultancy fees.
Also on the eligible list are Software subscription fees, Technology Transfer Agreements, Personal Home Remittances and any such other eligible transactions including ‘miscellaneous Payments’ as detailed under Memorandum 15 of the CBN Foreign Exchange Manual.
The circular which explained that the invisible transactions under the window excludes international airlines ticket sales’ remittances, and added that the window covered Bills for Collection and any other trade-related payment obligations, which are at the instance of the customer.
The circular clarified that the permitted invisible transactions and Bills for Collection were eligible to purchase foreign currency sourced from the CBN Forex window limited to Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) Wholesale (Spot and Forwards) only.
According to the statement, international airlines ticket sales’ remittances shall only be eligible to access the CBN FX window (SMIS-Retail and Wholesale; spot and forwards.
On participants in the new window, the circular disclosed that supply of foreign currency to the window shall be through portfolio investors, exporters, authorized dealers and other parties with foreign currency to exchange to Naira. The CBN, it added, shall also be a market participant at the window to promote liquidity and professional market conduct.
Taking cognizance of the slow progress made by corporates in on-boarding the FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange (FMDQ) Thomson Reuters FX Trading & Auction Systems, the CBN said participants at the new window would trade via telephone until appreciable progress is made with the FX trading systems on-boarding process.
The circular therefore advised authorized dealers to promote market transparency by encouraging their corporate clients to on-board to ensure the activities of the window are operated on the forex trading systems.
To provide price discovery to the market, it said the FMDQ will be charged with polling buying and selling rates and other relevant information from the major participants in the market to provide participants with the requisite price discovery, and the CBN with the indicative market depth until the market migrates to the FX Trading systems.
As part of the operational requirements of the window, the CBN circular said the exchange rates of the transactions in the window shall be as agreed between authorized dealers and their counterparties. It also said that the CBN reserved the right to intervene as a buyer or seller, as it deems fit, in the window, adding that information on transactions between authorized dealers shall be reported to the CBN on a daily basis. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reconstitution of the Board of Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) with Abdulahi Oteh Attah as Chairman and Chief Executive.
This was contained in a circular signed by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye dated April 21, 2017.
Members of the Board are Ahmed Garba, Barrister Hamza Hashim, Saa Godwin Gbue, Edward Adedamola, Mrs. Blessing Ifeyinwa and Ms. Benedicta Atto.
The circular said that this is in addition to the Statutory members of the Board provided for in Section 3(2)(a) of the FCT-IRS Act 2015 which include the following Directors/officials of the FCT Administration which are:-
Director of Treasury – Deputy Chairman
Solicitor-General, Legal Services Secretariat – Member
Director of Land Administration – Member
Director, Administration & Finance (Area Council Services Secretariat) – Member
Co-ordinator, Abuja Infrastructure and Investment Centre – Member
Director, Department of Economic Planning, Research and Statistics – Member
Director of Information & Communications – Member
Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has also approved the redeployment of Barrister Harisu Umar of the FCT Legal Services Secretariat to the FCT-IRS as Secretary to the Board.
The appointment of the Chairman of the Board is however, subject to the confirmation of the National Assembly, in line with the enabling Act. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari joined other Muslims today, Friday, to observe Jum’at prayer at the Aso Villa Jum’at Mosque, Abuja. The President, with the National Security Adviser, retired Major-General Babagana Monguno and the Commander of the Brigade of Guards, Brigadier General M. S Yusuf, waves to the people as he emerged from the Mosque. [myad]
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