Nigerian Newspapers
Richard Akinnola: Dead set against Al-Mustapha’s discharge and acquittal
Richard Akinnola, journalist, social critic and human rights activist, played an active role in the struggle to actualise the June 12, 1993 presidential mandate of late MKO Abiola and the agitations which led to the present democratic government.
Not one to fold his arms and watch, Akinnola again stood up to be counted when the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Chief Security Officer (CSO) to former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, from the murder of Kudirat Abiola, MKO’s wife.
This time, he has written a book, in barely three weeks, to educate and inform the world on why he is against the Court of Appeal ruling.
Akinnola presented his book, titled “A travesty of Justice – The acquittal of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and others over the murder of Kudirat Abiola.” to the public on Monday, July 29, 2013 at Excellence Hotel, Lagos.
Speaking passionately about why he was motivated to write a book on the acquittal of Al-Mustapha, Akinnola says he decided to speak up against Al- Mustapha’s acquittal because he sees the former CSO’s freedom as the height of injustice. He says, “I think in the case of Gani Fawehinmi Vs Akibu in 1987, the Supreme Court said that we are our brother’s keepers.
So, that informed why I am doing this, because an injustice to someone is an injustice everywhere. And I believe that an injustice has been done and I feel the situation is like rubbing salt upon injury with the whole politicising of the whole acquittal, particularly the post-acquittal demonstration and actions of the political elites.
This shows that the issue is more political than judicial. And that is why I feel that we cannot allow this kind of injustice to be swept under the carpet.
“This entire thing is about politics and that is why it is very sad. We are talking about human life and it is unfortunate that they have made the judiciary helpless.
Why I feel hurt personally is because we are talking about human life. We are not talking about a civil matter.
Life has been lost; people have lost their parents, their dependants have become orphans because of this.
And particularly, we all know the antecedents of Al- Mustapha and all the atrocities he perpetrated while he was CSO to Abacha. I was a victim and many people were also victims of Abacha’s government.
“I recall that I called one of the Editors in TELL after the Court of Appeal judgement and said perhaps all of us should roll out the red carpet and go to Kano and beg Al-Mustapha.
Because if we look at all the things we faced during that period and see what is playing out now, one does not need to pity this country.
And even some of our Comrades who have been consistent in this kind of struggle have suddenly gone mute on the Al-Mustpha thing, which to me amounts to massive endorsement of the acquittal, just because they want to be politically correct.”
But why a book at this time?
Why write a book in three weeks? Akinnola says, “There is something fundamentally wrong in this country because any country founded on injustice can never prosper.
When we fought the June 12 and post June 12 struggle, we didn’t look at where anybody came from. Even for those of us from the South-West, when Earnest Shonekan was brought in to replace Abiola after the annulled election, we resisted it.
When former President Olusegun Obasanjo came in and tried his third term agenda, we resisted it. We did that because we acted on principle. So when people now decide to jettison principle on the altar of political expediency, one needs to have a fresh appraisal of this country.
“That is why it is necessary to bring this book out at this point in time because of the level of propaganda being dished out by the other side. I must say that this book is just the ‘John the Baptist.’ The real book is still coming.
“The attitude of the political elite has further validated the fact that this acquittal is nothing short of political.
A few days ago, a former Minister led a group to the PDP secretariat to thank the national chairman of PDP, Bamangar Tukur, and the President for the acquittal of Major Al-Mustapha.
He said that he knew that this was not just a mere judicial decision, that if the President and Bamangar Tukur were not involved, there was no way the court would have given that kind of decision.
What he said was published in black and white and I felt scandalised that these people are not even trying to cover up the reasons for the political judgement. “Many of the reports in the public domain have shown that it was not just a judicial decision but political-judicial decision.
If you follow the trend in the last two weeks after his acquittal, you will see a lot of PDP stalwarts going to PDP headquarters to thank Bamangar Tukur for helping in getting Al-Mustapha out of the prison and thanking the President for getting Al-Mustapha out of the prison.
“So, I think that their actions show that the judgement was a premeditated thing, not just a judicial fiat because the PDP guys said so and it was published that they know that there is no way the court would have release him without the president.
If you follow the media in the last few days you will see how Al-Mustapha is now being used as arrowhead to win the North for 2015, which is most unfortunate.
“The guy (Al-Mustapha) has become the hero of the North. It is most unfortunate and I think irrespective of the rubbish going on, we should just remain focused and steadfast that justice has no ethnic or tribal colouration.
As far as I am concerned, injustice is injustice and justice is justice irrespective of where you come from or your interest. As long as human life is involved, we need to fight for that person.”
Akinnola is canvassing that the matter be taken to the Supreme Court for a final decision. “I believe that the case should go to the Supreme Court. Irrespective of what has happened, let the matter go to the Supreme Court.
Let it be on record that this is what the Supreme Court did on the matter.
“This will certainly not be the end of the matter. This matter will still come up and whoever thought he has escaped justice, God will ultimately judge him even here on earth, before he gets to heaven. He will certainly receive the judgement.”
So who killed Kudirat Abiola? Says Akinnola, “Despite what they did to Gani Fawehinmi in respect of Dele Giwa’s death, Nigerians today know who killed Dele Giwa. Whether the court has committed them or not, they know. And the torture those people go through everyday cannot be quantified.
So Nigerians know who killed Dele Giwa, thanks to Gani Fawehinmi’s struggle.
By the time they go through my book, Nigerians will also know who killed Kudirat Abiola irrespective of the decision of the Court of Appeal.”
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: National Mirror Newspaper
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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