Yes, We Negotiate With Kidnappers For Obvious Reasons, Police Boss Confesses

November 10, 2022

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has confessed that the police and other security agents used to negotiate with kidnappers to secure release of victims for one reason or the other.

The police boss, who answered reporters’ questions today, November 10, at the State House Media Briefing, organized by the Presidential Communications Team, said that there are several options to explore during kidnap incidents.

“The issue of kidnapping is an issue that borders almost all the security agents, including the military. It is a crime that once it is committed, you have to thread very softly and with all sense of professionalism.

“If you do not rescue the person, save, unhurt, you’ve not done anything and once somebody is in the captivity of an armed person, then you need to do a lot of things, it is not all about guns and other things. There are a lot of other things that can be done.

“We were able to rescue the whole of forestry students in Kaduna through negotiation and many others.”

The Inspector General of Police said that suspects arrested after the travel advisory issued by the United States and United Kingdom in Abuja will be charged to court soon.

The police boss would not give accurate number of those arrested in connection with the threats, said that the security stakeholders picked holes in the advisories because it caused apprehension among the citizens.

“Nobody has dismissed that alarm. Government never dismissed it; but we only said it was blown out of proportion or made in such a way that our people became apprehensive to the situation or to the way it was done.

“The embassies have their own responsibilities to their citizens and they can make their advice and the government has not dismissed what has happened because they have also informed us of what they foresee as threats.

“And we on our part have also looked at what they put as threat as something that has been with us and efforts are being made daily to see they those threats are mitigated or prevented from happening and that is what has been happening in Abuja and all over the country.

“Sometimes, these threats or things happen but nobody has dismissed it as mere alarm and a lot of efforts have been made, like you said to douse tension. Yes, actually arrests have been made for those, we believe are planning to commit crime in whatever form and we have done that arrest and as at when due, those arrested will be charged to court by any of the services which have them.”

Buhari Hails Team Nigeria For Winning Silver At African Archery Competition

Editorial staff

November 10, 2022

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Team Nigeria for winning Silver Medal at the African Continental Archery Championship, holding in Pretoria, South Africa.

Rotimi Williams, Olatayo Olasehinde and Damilola Sholademi who represented Nigeria in the men’s 50m compound bow, won silver, coming second behind South Africa.

In the mixed category comprising both genders, Williams Sholademi and Kachollom Enyenihi also won the silver.

President Buhari commended the athletes for demonstrating the Nigerian value of bravery, passion and commitment in the maiden participation of the country in the African Archery Championship, held every two years.

He believed that this worthy achievement marks the beginning of a harvest of more celebrations in their professional career and other endeavours.

We’re Closely Watching Twitter Under New Owner, Elon Musk – Nigeria Information Minister

Editorial staff

November 10, 2022

The Nigeria’s minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that the Federal Government is closely monitoring the current development of the microblogging platform, Twitter under the new ownership, Elon Musk.

The minister’s pronouncement is coming against the backdrop of recent sharp increase in fake news, disinformation, and hate speech, especially since Twitter changed ownership.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, today, November 10, Lai Mohammed said that the federal government has no intention of banning Twitter again, but that it should not fall into the same trap that led to its ban months ago.

He recalled that last year’s suspension of Twitter was due to its use by those elements that are working at destabilizing Nigeria via fake news, disinformation, and hate speech.

The minister said that the federal government has no intention of banning any media platform from performing its duties, however, noted that it would also not allow any platform to be used to plunge the country into anarchy.

Answering a question on whether another Twitter ban is coming following new ownership, Lai Mohammed said: “we have no intention of banning any social media platform again. But we will also not sit by and allow any platform whatsoever to throw our nation into crisis.

“Let me say this, we are closely monitoring the evolving developments at Twitter. It has never been our intention to ban any social media platform or stifle free speech. Not at all!

“Many have called to ask us what will become of our agreement with Twitter given the change in its ownership and they have also asked for our reaction following reports that there has been a spike in fake news, disinformation, and hate speech since the micro-blogging site changed ownership.

“We have also been asked if there is going to be another ban. What happened in the case of Twitter is well-known to all. Twitter became a platform of choice for those who want to destabilize Nigeria, using fake news, disinformation, and hate speech.

“No nation will allow any social media platform to plunge it into anarchy, definitely not Nigeria! But we have continued to engage positively with the different social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.’’

Recall that in June 2021, the federal government suspended the operations of Twitter indefinitely in the country, citing double standards by the microblogging and social media platform, and the persistent use of the platform for activities that were capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

However, in January 2022, President Buhari approved the lifting of the ban on the micro-blogging platform.

Elon Musk earlier in October completed the $44 billion Twitter acquisition deal and has since then introduced controversial new offering such as selling Twitter verification status.

Nigerian Govt Moves To Build Aviation Medical Centers In All Airports

Editorial staff

November 9, 2022

Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

The Nigerian Federal Government has moved to build Aviation Medical Centers in all the airports in the country.

This hint was dropped today, November 9, by the minister of information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while briefing newsmen shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential villa, Abuja.

He said that procurement of medical equipment and furniture are being scheduled to be made for the ongoing construction of one of the prototype Aviation Medical Centers at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja.

“In other words, we are building Aviation Medical Centers in all the airports and this is the first prototype at Abuja and the contract was approved for the supply of medical equipment and furniture, to the tune of N1,000,684,789.32.”

Lai Mohammed said that Tasodic Sodica Limited, the company that is to carry out the supply, was given six months from now to complete the job.

Atiku’s Campaign Rally Attacked By Hoodlums In Borno

Editorial staff

November 9, 2022

The Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign rally, under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was attacked today, November 9, in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Information reaching us said that the rally, the first to be held in the North East region, was attended by a large crowd and many notable leaders of the PDP.

A statement by the Media Adviser to Atiku, Paul Ibe, alleged that the attackers were wielding the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC), adding that they destroyed the convoy of vehicles conveying dignitaries to the venue.

“It is rather unfortunate that the APC in Borno State mobilized some of its members to attack the convoy carrying dignitaries who had earlier paid a courtesy visit at the Shehu of Borno palace to the venue of the rally.

“While it is well understood that such barbaric behaviour is typical of the APC, it must be noted that, this time around, it is specifically the last kick of a dying horse.

“The APC, apparently overwhelmed by the large turn of supporters to greet our presidential candidate, resorted to anti-democratic actions to scare the crowd away from the rally.

“It is a similar pattern to what happened during our rally in Kaduna State and it is important to call the attention of all stakeholders in peaceful elections in Nigeria to the dangerous actions being undertaken by the APC to disrupt our rallies, especially in the North,” Ibe said.

Paul Ibe said that Atiku, at the rally, said that if elected president in the election next year, he will ensure that the problem of insecurity is properly addressed, as well as bringing activities at the Lake Chad Basin back to life and continue with the exploration of crude oil in Borno State.

“There are three major issues that are important to everyone in Borno State. The most important is that we must return this state to the true meaning of its title as the ‘Home of Peace’. Therefore, my major agenda as far as Borno is concerned is to deal decisively with insecurity and return peace to this state and everywhere else.

“Secondly, I know that there has been an abandonment of activities around the Lake Chad Basin and this comes with attendant problems of people losing their means of livelihood. So, I am going to provide a sufficient amount of resources in both security and infrastructure that will guarantee the safety of lives and property around the Lake Chad Basin.

“Thirdly, given the enormity of security challenges, the business of crude oil exploration in this state has been put on hold. I will activate the necessary machinery that will ensure that crude oil fields in Borno State are explored, which will in turn make this state more economically viable.”

King Charles III Hosts President Buhari

Greenbarge Reporters

November 9, 2022

His Royal Majesty, King Charles III of England, welcoming President Muhammadu Buhari today, November 9, at the Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom, during the visit by Buhari.

I Wonder Why Nigerian Media Is Floating Fake News About Tinubu’s Alleged Money Laundry – Onanuga

Greenbarge Reporters

November 9, 2022

Director of Media and Publicity to the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayo Onanuga, has wondered why Nigerian media is interested in promoting what clearly is a fake news.
Media report has been trending on the involvement of the Presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in drug dealings and money laundering in the United States of America.
The report was said to have emanated from a document purportedly released by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, indicting Tinubu in drug dealings and money laundering in Chicago
The documents which went viral since yesterday evening, November 8, gave the details of Tinubu’s alleged indictment in drug deals and receipt of illegal money while in the U.S.
The 56-page document sought to confirm that Tinubu has been facing conviction on narcotics charges in the US, especially with the regard to the fact that he forfeited up to $460,000 to the U.S. authorities in 1993.
Onanuga described the documents in circulation as a “campaign of calumny,” adding that “The Muckrakers are back in business.”
Onanuga, on his Facebook page wrote: “The Muckrakers back in business.
“The Tinubu traducers on Tuesday (November 8), returned to their usual campaign of calumny, this time waking up the carcass of a drug allegation in America that was buried in 1993.
“Long after the campaign failed in 2003, it resurfaced weeks to the primary election of the All Progressives Congress. “The opponents thought it was lethal enough to make the APC disqualify Tinubu from the race.
“It failed spectacularly and Tinubu went on to win the primary with a landslide. The muckrakers are back again with the same story, dressed as ‘certified true copy’ from the U.S Court.”
The APC campaign media and publicity director, said that he had perused the new document and dismissed it as the same old tale.
“It is as dead as a dodo,” Onanuga said and made reference to a section of the campaign’s FAQ’s manual.
“One of the unconscionable and wicked lies peddled by political opponents about Bola Ahmed Tinubu was to paint him erroneously as a drug baron.
“The accusation arose out of an investigation by FBI agent Kevin Moss of Tinubu and Compass Investment and Finance accounts at First Heritage Bank and Citi- Bank in the U.S.
“On January 10, 1992, Mr Kevin Moss requested and obtained a court order to freeze the accounts.
“On January 13, 1992, Mr Moss telephoned Tinubu in Nigeria to justify the amounts in the accounts, running into $1.4 million. Part of the money was said to have been deposited by two Nigerians, being investigated for drug offences.
“After the telephone conversation, Tinubu instructed his lawyer in the US to file a lawsuit against the order freezing his accounts.
“This dragged on till 15 September 1993, when an agreement was reached for an out of court settlement. Judge John A Nordberg, of the US district court for the Northern District of Illinois, read out the agreement reached by the two parties. Part of the funds, $460,000 was seized by the government.
“The FBI never charged Tinubu with any drug offence; the case did not go on trial. Tinubu was never convicted. And he was never barred from entering the United States.
“In 2003, ten years after, when the PDP opponents wanted to use the shuttered allegation to disqualify Tinubu from running for a second term in Lagos, the Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun made an enquiry with the American Consulate on Tinubu’s status.
“The Consulate gave Tinubu a clean bill in a reply by the Legal Attache, Michael H. Bonner.
“The letter read: “Our sincerest greetings to you and all of the law enforcement personnel in the Nigeria Police Force, whose continued assistance is very much appreciated. In relation to your letter, dated February 3, 2003, reference number SR. 3000/IGPSEC/ABJ/VOL. 24/287, regarding Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a records check of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Crime Information Centre (NCIC) was conducted.
“The results of the checks were negative for any criminal arrest records, wants or warrants for Bola Ahmed Tinubu (DOB 29 March 1952).
“For information of your department, NCIC is a very centralised information centre that maintains the records of every criminal arrest and conviction within the United States and its territories.”
Onanuga said that almost thirty years after, the allegation was discharged and the case declared dead, Tinubu’s opponents keep waking up its corpse, in futile efforts to malign him.

Dino Melaye To Gov Wike: With Or Without You, Atiku Will Win Rivers State In 2023

Greenbarge Reporters

November 9, 2022

Spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Dino Melaye has made it clear to Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State that the party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, will win next year’s election in the State, with his support or without it.
He said that Governor Wike cannot do anything to change who the people of his state would vote for, saying that the Governor is not the custodian of votes in the State.
Dino Melaye, who spoke on Arise TV programme, said that it is wrong for Wike to think Atiku would fail in Rivers State.
“It’s very fallacious for you to think that because that governor is not with your candidate he will lose the State.
“I will cast your mind back to a day when you sat down and wrote result for a State. We are not in that era any longer. With the advent of BVAS and electronic transmission of results, in Rivers State for example, Governor Wike is not the custodian or he is not to appropriate the votes of Rivers.
“If you now go to elections as it’s now with electoral reforms, the grassroots matters; the electorate matter; the youth and women matter. “That is why Atiku is speaking directly to the conscience of the electorate,” Melaye said.

Police Affairs Minister Complains Of Reduction In 2023 Budget From N871 Billion To N3 Billion

Editorial staff

November 9, 2022

Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, Tuesday, has complained bitterly about drastic cut of the Ministry’s 2023 budget from the proposed N871 billion to a meagre N3 billion, even as the country heads into a general elections barely five months from now.

The minister, who appeared before a joint budget hearing of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Police co-chaired by Senator Halliru Jika and Hon. Bello Kumo, today, November 8, requested for more funding for his Ministry through budgetary allocation.

According to the minister, the proposal in 2023 budget was grossly inadequate to meet the mandate of the Ministry, explaining that out of the total budget of N871 billion earmarked for the Ministry and its agencies, only N3 billion was given in the approved envelope.

He said that the Nigerian police force, and Nigerian police trust fund got N805 billion and N57 billion respectively, even as he bemoaned the N5 billion allocated to Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State.

Speaking on 2022 budget performance, the Minister said that out of the N1.7 billion released, critical programmes had been carried out from the capital expenditures.

“You’re aware of the mandate of the ministry of police affairs. In order to achieve our mandate. Resources were provided for us in the 2022 budget for personnel overhead and capital expenditure. For purposes of implementation, actual releases in the main ministry for 2022 budget as at date, N1.7 billion. Out of this the sum of N291 million, has been released for overhead and N1.4 billion for capital respectively.

“The released capital funds have largely been utilized to carry out critical programs while procurement processes for capital projects are still ongoing. For 2023 budget, the main ministry has total budget of N3, 553,590,805. For Nigerian police force, is N805, 580,450,659, Police academy wudil is N5,177,414,613, Nigerian police trust fund is N57,14,287,532 and the total budget is N871,307,212,609. Despite the outcry of 2022 budget, there’s no significant improvement in the 2023 budgetary provisions.

“It is therefore obvious from the foregoing that the ministry to carry out its mandate of ensuring adequate security of lives and property in Nigeria. The provisions proposed for this task in the year 2023 particularly for the main ministry and police Academy, Wudil are considered inadequate. While we appreciate the innovation the parliament has taken to fund the police in the areas of fueling of vehicles, and so on. We look up to at this point to intervene and improve the funding for the implementation of our mandate.”

Journalists were later excused from the meeting as the Chairmen of the Committees, Jika and Kumo said details of security budget was not to be made public.

FCTA Gets N8.1 Billion To Renovate 30-Year Old Federal Secretariat In Abuja

Editorial staff

November 9, 2022

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has been granted the sum of N8,110,665,676.79 by the Federal Government to begin renovation works on the Federal Secretariat Complex Phase One in Abuja.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, who flagged off the rehabilitation project today, November 8, in a brief ceremony at the Secretariat complex, described the exercise as a milestone in the efforts by the FCTA to rehabilitate public buildings and infrastructure in the FCT.

The Minister confirmed that the Federal Secretariat Complex, like many other public buildings in the FCT, was constructed 30 years ago and have been begging for rehabilitation.

According to the minister, the exercise is the culmination of several discussions with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation who was very passionate about the provision of conducive working environment for civil servants.

Muhammad Musa Bello admitted that budgetary provisions have been the constraint and called for concerted efforts to ensure adequate funding.

“This phase of what we are doing is just a tip of the iceberg in what needs to be done. We have to all work together to get funding to rehabilitate this building and all the other public buildings in Abuja.”

The Minister said that his Administration has spent most of its time completing ongoing projects and is now trying to rehabilitate the roads that were built 30 years ago.

Muhammad Musa Bello frowned at the level of abuse of public buildings in the FCT, even as he called for reforms in the existing procurement system for the maintenance of public facilities.

He suggested that a cadre of civil servants should be established for the maintenance of the public buildings

Earlier, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Esan, commended the FCT Administration for working to ensure that the environment where civil servants spend most of their times is conducive with the added benefits of increased productivity.

She expressed delight that this phase of rehabilitation project is dealing with critical wet areas like conveniences, and called on the construction company, Julius Berger (Nig) Plc to ensure that it is completed in good time.

Also, the Executive Secretary of the FCDA, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), after due process, approved the award of the Phase 1 of the contract to Messrs. Julius Berger Plc at the sum of N8,110,665,676.79 with completion period of 24 months.

Engr. Ahmad said that the contractor has mobilized fully to site and commenced work, while government has met up with its financial obligation to the contractor as at date.

He added that the rehabilitation work would be carried out in phases, to ensure that government activities are not paralyzed as work goes on.

Director of Public Buildings in the FCT Administration, Architect Adebowale Ademo, said that the phase 1 involves the rehabilitation of the wet areas, conveniences in all the floors, construction of new lifts, painting, and repairs of pervasive leaking roofs across the building among others.

This was even as the Project Manager of Julius Berger Plc, Oliver Berger commended the Federal Government for committing to the maintenance of public infrastructure, assuring that the company will, in conjunction with the users of the building, ensure that all works are carried out successfully while still providing comfort to the civil servants at work.

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