Amnesty International has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to launch investigation into the death of about 149 people in what it called ‘horrific condition’ during military detention in Giwa barracks insde Maiduguri, capital of Borno state since the beginning of this year.

The Amnesty claimed that at least 11 children under the age of six, including four babies, were among the deaths, adding that several detainees died due to diseases, hunger, dehydration and gunshots wounds.

“Children under five years old, including babies, have been held in three overcrowded women’s cells. In the last year there has been a tenfold increase in the number of detainees in these cells, rising from 25 in 2015 to 250 in early 2016.”

The body said that the facts where gathered from witnesses’ accounts and corroborated by videos and photographs even as it said that unsanitary conditions mean that disease is rife.

“Amnesty International understands that there were around 20 babies and children under five in each of the three cells.”

Witnesses said detention conditions were worst in the men’s cells, where it is believed inmates received about half a litre of water and very little food per day. Detainees also said they had to sleep on the floor and did not have access to washing facilities.

“Despite steps taken to improve conditions in Giwa barracks in 2014 and 2015, with detainees receiving food three times a day, as well as blankets, sleeping mats and increased access to sanitary facilities and medical assistance, recent mass arrests appear to have erased some of these gains and death rates are on the increase,” said Amnesty. “Mass public releases of detainees, including young children and babies, earlier this year, have demonstrated that the detention of children in Giwa barracks is no secret.”

Amnesty claimed at least 1,200 people are currently detained at Giwa barracks and the majority of whom were arbitrarily arrested without evidence and were not granted a fair trial. Families were also separated upon arrest.

The rights group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to close the detention centre and launch an independent investigation into the recent deaths.

Meanwhile the spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Sani Suman has denied the report, saying: “the allegations by Amnesty International are far from the truth.” [myad]

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has appointed three aides. They are Professor Bolade Eyinla who will serve as Chief Technical Adviser (CTA); Professor Mohammed J. Kuna as Special Assistant (SA) and Rotimi Oyekanmi as Chief Press Secretary (CPS).

Until his appointment, Bolade Eyinla was a Professor of History at the University of Ilorin. He was also National Election Expert at the UNDP-DGD.

Mohammed J. Kuna, until his appointment, was Professor of Political Sociology at the Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto. He was also Special Assistant to the former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega.

Rotimi Oyekanmi was a senior editorial staff of the Guardian. [myad]

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has alleged that his asset declaration form submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in 2003 had been tampered with.

on Tuesday revealed in the ongoing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja on 16 counts, including false and anticipatory asset declaration, by claiming.

According to Saraki, through his lawyer, Paul Erokoro (SAN) on assumption of office as Governor of Kwara State in 2003, declared the property at 15 Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, as part of his assets whereas he (Saraki) only acquired it in 2006.

Erokoro was cross examining the first prosecution witness on alleged infractions in the asset declaration forms he submitted as Governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011, Mr. Michael Wetkas

The witness said that Saraki bought the property from the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) during the Sale of Federal Government Properties in 2006, and that he declared it as part of his assets on September 16, 2003.

He said that Saraki declared that he acquired the property, 15A and 15B, Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos in 2000 through his company Carlisle Properties “whereas our finding revealed that he acquired it through Tiny Tee Limited in 2006”.

He said the property only appeared on the records of the Presidential Committee on Sales of Federal Government Properties as No. 15 and Block 15, Flat 1 to 4, Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, and not as 15A and 15B Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, as represented by Saraki in his asset declaration form made in 2003.

“As of the time this document (the defendant’s asset declaration form made on assumption of office in 2003) was prepared, this property had not been sold. What I found out which was what I said in my evidence-in-chief was that in the course of our investigation, we came across 15A and 15B Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi.

“We wrote to the Presidential Implementation Committee. We also wrote to Lagos Land Registry, who said they didn’t have record of 15 Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi.

“But the Presidential Implementation Committee stated that the record they had was 15, Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, which was sold to the company, Tiny Tee Limited, and Block 15 1 to 4 Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, which was sold to another company Bitti Oil Company.

“In the case of the prosecution and the evidence I gave was that 15 Mcdonald was sold to Tiny Tee Limited belonging to the defendant (Saraki) which we did not see in any of the asset declaration forms.”

But Erokoro said it was impossible for his client to have declared the property earlier in 2003, when it was only offered for sale and keenly contested for by various parties in 2006.

“Energy Marine Resources limited also bid for that property from the record. Another bidder, Chief Charles Sante, Tiny Tee and Bitti Oil, the occupant of the house Nwosu Vitus Egwuagu insisted that the property should be sold to him. He wrote a letter to the minister complaining that the property was not offered to him first as required under the policy. He was later allowed to participate.

“The property was first offered to Energy Marine Resources at the cost of N251m, there was a struggle for it so the defendant would have known that he would eventually get it”.

“I put it to you that the reason Energy Marine Resources did not buy it, was that, what was advertised was smaller than what was offered. So they refused to pay. Thereafter the property was offered to the sitting tenant.”

He said given the contest for the property, it could only have been possible that the document had been doctored by inserting the property at 15A and 15B, Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi.

“Exhibit 1 has been tampered with. Who inserted the property? Was that why you never confronted him with Exhibit 1?
Your team did not invite the defendant because you were afraid that he would challenge the document.”

But in his response, Wetkas denied the allegation that the document was tampered with, pointing out that each page of the document bore the signature of Saraki and the date it was signed on September 16, 2003.

He said that he had no reason to doubt the correctness of the document because it was backed by an affidavit sworn before a judge.
He said, “I did not sign it. It was signed by the defendant. As far as I am concerned from the document it was signed by the defendant on September 16, 2003. No, I did not insert the property. There has never been any case of complaint of insertion.
The Code of Conduct Bureau is a responsible agency of government; they could not have inserted it.

“He swore to an affidavit before a judge. Whether I see him or not is immaterial. Since it was sworn to before a judge, I believe the content to be correct.” [myad]

Senate Deputy President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu has recalled the period the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State was divided along the interests of some leaders of the party in the state.

“I remember at a time in the state we had the Okwesilieze Nwodo and Chimaroke Nnamani faction. At other time we had the Abuja and Enugu groups and finally the Sullivan Chime group and Ike Ekweremadu faction.
Ekweremadu, who spoke at the inauguration of the newly elected chairman of the party in the state, Augustine Nnamani, said: “but today, we only have the Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi group in Enugu State and we are going to give the governor our result in the year 2023 when we present our certificate to him.”

The Deputy Senate President said that the party chairmen in the state, Ikeje Asogwa, had emerged as the most successful because he was handing over a most peaceful state to the new chairman. [myad]