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Christian Barber Arrested For Blasphemy In Kano

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Christian Barber Arrested For Blasphemy In Kano

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Leo Igwe

A 23-year-old Christian barber, Elijah Ode, from Benue State in Central Nigeria has been arrested for blasphemy in Kano.

Smith Akoko posted some information about the arrest on Facebook. The post states:

YOUNG BENUE (CHRISTIAN) BARBER DETAINED IN KANO FOR ALLEGED BLASPHEMY

By Smith Akoko

Elijah Ode, a resident of Kano from Adum East, Obi LGA of Benue State, who combines barbing with studies and is domiciled in the Sabon Gari town of the state was reported to have been in the net of Islamic religious extremists, who believe he has committed blasphemy in the cause of his work as a barber.

Report says Elijah, who is well patronized by young people for possessing exceptional skills in trendy haircuts, attracted the wrath of the extremists last week Wednesday when two of his customers were tortured to stupor for designs claimed to be blasphemous to the Islamic religion.

Thereupon, Elijah was traced to his barbershop, where he was arrested for complicity and has been in police detention with the two customers since last week.

According to information obtained from his cousin, Mr. Sunday Ukenya, the young (Christian) barber did not design the hairstyles to provoke. He said he was only being innovative doing his work, as usual, to eke a living and pay his fees at his tertiary institution of study in Kano, where he sponsors himself. Ukenya also added that the case is already in the court of law at the wish of the aggrieved Muslims with the first session being yesterday.

He expressed sadness, however, that all efforts by the young barber’s lawyer to bail him proved abortive for the claim that it is a major case and as a result not bailable. At the moment the family has run out of hope, soliciting intercessory prayers as the reality of incarceration stares Elijah in the face. And indeed, jamesibechi.com can confirm that unless prayers are offered or reputable human rights activists from across the globe rise for the defenceless self-sponsored young barber, the reality may be undesirable but inevitable.

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I have spoken with Smith Akoko and Sunday Ukenye and they confirmed the story. Islamic police in Kano arrested and detained Ode last week in connection with a hairstyle which they deemed an insult to Islam. Ode’s barbing shop is located at Aba road by Igbo road at Sabon Gari in Kano. Mr. Ode’s case came up for hearing at a magistrate’s court at Jedi Jedi, along Court Road on Monday, February 1, 2020. But the magistrate refused Mr. Ode and other accused persons bail. The court adjourned the case to Thursday, February 4.

Nobody knows the prison where they are kept at the moment. It is not certain that the accused persons will be granted bail at the end of the hearing tomorrow. If some pressure is not brought to bear on the Kano state government, Elijah Ode and other accused persons would languish in jail. There has been a growing number of allegations of blasphemy in Kano.

The Islamic police, Hisbah are often behind these arrests and the Kano State government turns a blind eye to these abuses. Kano is an Islamic stronghold and Muslims in the state take advantage of their number and political power to oppress, harass and abuse minorities with impunity. When Sharia law was introduced in Kano in 1999, the Muslim establishment stated that the Islamic law would only apply to Muslims.

Incidentally, that has not been the case. As the case of Mubarak Ode, Mubarak Bala and other non-Muslims accused of blasphemy have illustrated, Sharia is being enforced on non-Muslims in Kano and other Muslim majority states in northern Nigeria.

Blasphemy law is incompatible with human rights and civilized values. It is a weapon for religious oppression and persecution. Free Elijah Ode. Free Mubarak. Free all persons accused of blasphemy in Kano! Repeal all blasphemy laws.

Igwe chairs the Board of Trustees for the Humanist Association of Nigeria

 

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Politics

BREAKING: Tribunal Fixes Date To Begin Hearing Of Atiku’s, Obi’s Petitions On Presidential Election

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The Presidential Election Petitions Court has fixed Monday May 8 for the hearing of the petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the President-elect.

The Tinubu’s legal team disclosed that Monday’s hearing would be a pre-hearing session. The hearing is to clarify if there are any applications before the main hearing will start. The timetable will be set for the hearing of the substantive matters.

The court also stopped receiving replies from the petitioners on April 23.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, had on March 1 declared Tinubu the President-Elect on the grounds that his party scored the majority of votes cast at the polls.

He had polled 8.8 million to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 6.9 million, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) who amassed 6.1 million and 15 others.

Disputing the result, Atiku and Obi filed separate petitions seeking orders to annul the election or declare them the winners of the polls.

The PDP presidential candidate, who anchored his seven prayers on five grounds, asked the Presidential Election Tribunal to declare him the president-elect.

Alternatively, Atiku urged the court to cancel the election and order a fresh election due to alleged irregularities that marred the February 25 polls in thousands of polling units.

In their petition, Atiku and the PDP argued that as of March 1 when Tinubu was declared the winner of the election, the entire results and accreditation data from polling units had not been transmitted and uploaded by INEC.

Obi, who came third in the election, alleged that the election was characterised by various irregularities including the non-qualification of Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima to contest the election.

He also alleged that Tinubu failed to win the majority of the lawful votes cast in the election, and just as he could not secure one-quarter of the lawful votes cast in the FCT.

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Asia’s Richest Man Mukesh Ambani Wears An Unassuming $8,500 Rolex While  Son Flaunts A Rare $9m Patek Philippe Watch

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By Sayan Chakravarty

In a world full of bad-boy billionaires, India’s Mukesh Ambani is considered by many as a rare anomaly. With a net worth of $83.4 billion, he’s currently the richest person in Asia and ranked at number 9 on the world billionaire list. Yet, the 65-year-old camera-shy business tycoon almost never departs from the carefully crafted image of a man of simplicity, which is perfectly demonstrated by his unglamorous dressing sense. He’s often seen dressed in a simple white short-sleeve shirt and a pair of loose-fitting black trousers, a choice inspired by his father Dhirubhai Ambani who founded Reliance Industries in 1958. While Mukesh Ambani can easily afford the most expensive watches ever made, the billionaire chooses to stick to his understated look and wear nondescript, unremarkable watches, as seen in the picture below.

The undated picture was recently shared by a social media page called The Indian Horology, which claims that it’s a Rolex Cellini reference 6621/8S worn by Asia’s richest person. The quality of the image is pretty bad for us to individually recognize the timepiece. Presuming they have accurately recognized the timepiece, it’s an interesting choice. Rolex Cellini is a discontinued model that currently sells for around $8,500 on pre-owned watch platforms, making it one of the most affordable Rolex watches. But there’s something more shocking than its price. While its tiny case makes it perfect for someone looking for a modest watch, Rolex Cellini ref. 6621/8S is a ladies’ watch, which is what makes it a bizarre choice for Mukesh Ambani.

Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Reference 6300G

The timepiece has a diminutive 18k gold case measuring 26mm in diameter. Underneath a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal is a champagne dial with Roman numerals and is powered by a battery-powered Quartz movement. The watch is worn on a brown leather strap with an ostrich pattern. The ordinary-looking Rolex is in complete contrast to the ultra-rare Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Reference 6300G worth $9 million worn by Mukesh’s son, Anant Ambani, at an event recently. It is the most complex watch ever made by Patek Philippe with a movement that features a whopping 20 complications. But don’t be fooled by Mukesh Ambani’s choice of clothes and watches; the billionaire and his family enjoy an unmatched life of luxury. Here are some of the expensive things owned by the Ambani family.

He stays in the most expensive private home in the world and it has a snow room.

The Indian billionaire and his family live in a 27-story skyscraper in Mumbai which is believed to be built at the cost of $1 billion, making it the most expensive privately-owned house in the world. The engineering marvel is named Antilia after a mythical island believed to be in the Atlantic Ocean near Portugal and Spain. Out of 27 floors, the top six are reserved for the family and can be accessed via nine high-speed elevators. In addition to that, six floors are dedicated to car parking that can accommodate up to 168 cars. Additionally, the building has a helipad, a 50-seat movie theatre, three floors of Babylon-inspired hanging gardens, a yoga studio, a fitness center, a ballroom, a spa, a health center, a temple, and also a snow room. Antilia is designed to sustain an earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale.

His wife Nita Ambani with one of their private jets.

As one of the richest people on this planet, Mukesh Ambani obviously needs private jets to ferry him and his family to different parts of the world. The billionaire has a total of 3 private jets, which includes a fully decked-out Falcon 900EX. Powered by three Honeywell TFE 731-60 engines, the aircraft has a range of 4,500 nm and a top speed of 0.85 Mach (about 650mph). He also owns an Airbus A319 that can carry up to 18 passengers. The cabin is divided into VIP quarters and is equipped with top-shelf amenities. In addition to that, Mukesh Ambani’s fleet also includes a Boeing Business Jet that’s no less than a flying 7-star hotel.

A collection of some of the coolest and most expensive cars

The Ambani family is known for its love for cars and their mega garage is home to some of the most expensive cars in the world. In fact, Mukesh Ambani is believed to own the most expensive car in India which is a completely personalized Rolls-Royce Cullinan worth $2 million.

The security convoy has multiple white G-Wagens.

If you thought that was awe-inspiring, wait till you see the fleet of vehicles that carry the security personnel protecting the billionaire and his family. It includes no less than 6 Mercedes-AMG G63 SUVs that cost close to an equivalate of $500,000 apiece in India.

Note – As of writing this article according to Forbes, Mukesh Ambani’s networth is $85 billion.

.This article was initially published on Luxurylaunches.com.

 

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Politics

BREAKING: I Won’t Resign, Election Free, Fair – INEC Chairman

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We're Ready To Resume Continuous Voter Registration - INEC
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the call by the Labour Party (LP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to resign.

The commission also said the allegation by Senator Dino Melaye that the INEC chairman allocated scores to political parties during the ongoing collation of 2023 presidential election results, was unfounded and irresponsible.

The three opposition parties had earlier on Tuesday passed a vote of no confidence in the INEC chairman and even called for his resignation.

But, reacting to the call in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said contrary to the insinuations by the political parties, election results emanating from the States of the Federation were free, fair and credible.

He said, “There are laid down procedures for aggrieved parties or candidates to follow when they are dissatisfied about the outcome of an election

“Such procedures do not include calling on the INEC Chairman to resign or for the election to be cancelled.

“To be sure, aggrieved parties are free to approach the courts to ventilate their concerns and wait for the matter to be resolved. Making inciting comments capable of causing violence or unrest is unacceptable.”

He noted that the 2023 general election processes were at their final stages of completion.

“It is only fair for aggrieved parties to allow the conclusion of the process and approach the courts with their evidence to pursue their cases,” he added.

 

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