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Ndume Seeks  Public Trial Of  Bureau De Change Operators Sponsoring Boko Haram

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Ndume Seeks  Public Trial Of  Bureau De Change Operators Sponsoring Boko Haram

All the over 400 Bureau De Change operators recently arrested for allegedly funding the Boko Haram insurgency in the country should undergo a public prosecution, according to Senator Ali Ndume.

Ndume who is  the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, and is representing Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, made the call in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Sunday.

Ndume’s senatorial district is currently under the siege of the Boko Haram terrorists.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had last month, said the Nigerian government had arrested some Bureau De Change operators who were facilitating the transfer of money to Boko Haram terrorists.

He had said some Nigerians transferring money to the sect from the United Arab Emirates were working with the BDC operators.

He had said :“Bureaus de change are facilitating money to terrorists. We have already worked with the UAE.

“Convictions have been achieved of Nigerians who are transferring money to Boko Haram terrorists and this also happens domestically.

“I tell you that by the time we finish this investigation, the shocking details will surprise many Nigerians,” Shehu had said.

There were revelations that scores of persons had been arrested by security agents in an ongoing nationwide crackdown on suspected financiers and collaborators of Boko Haram.

It was learnt that the arrested suspects were being kept in military and DSS facilities in Abuja and other places.

Ndume maintained that Nigerians deserve to know what the government was doing concerning the suspects.

He said: “The presidency said recently that Nigerians would be shocked if it revealed the identities of those who are sponsoring the Boko Haram insurgents.

“Can you imagine that 400 Bureau De Change operators are the people funding the Boko Haram?

“When the BDC operators are arrested now, what will the government do with them. The presidency is already saying their case is confidential. What is confidential about it?

“The presidency should expose the identities of all the BDC operators so far arrested and carry out their trial in public.

“If any of them is innocent, he should be allowed to go while those found guilty must be made to face the music.

“When I was wrongly accused, I was tried publicly and I was vindicated. The trial lasted six years in an open court. If there is any criminal act linked to anybody no matter how highly placed, let the evidence be placed before the public, there should be no secret trial.

“Nowadays, criminals are arrested and paraded without further action. Nobody knows what happens to the people who killed 11 soldiers in Benue State recently?

“What happened to those who beheaded policemen in Cross River State?

“If everyone is doing what he is supposed to do as defined by our constitution and laws, we would not have these problems. Citizens should expose suspicious movements.”

On the travel advisory by the US government to its citizens planning to travel to Nigeria, Ndume said, there was no big deal about such warnings.

He said: “America has the right to advise its citizens on the issue of security just the same way I won’t advise anybody to travel anyhow within Nigeria.

“There is no big deal about the American travel advisory to its citizens wishing to come to Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Bandits Raid Church, Kill Doctor, Abduct Others

“The truth of the matter is that we are facing security challenges that are  more intense than the situation before now especially with the new dimensions in addition to the existing ones.

“It is a matter of concern. I am of the view that security and welfare of the citizens should remain paramount.

“We need more personnel in the military and security forces with modern equipment to prosecute the war.

“All hands must be on deck. Citizens must provide useful information while the security agents should be adequately empowered with modern weapons to enable them to act fast whenever information is provided.

“I am scared and worried because I don’t have anywhere to run to. Right now I don’t have a visa to any country.

“Nigeria is the only country that I have, that is why I am so passionate about my country. I believe so much in this country, that is why I don’t travel out for my holidays.

“I spend all my holidays travelling from one state to another with members of my family. That is why the current security situation is of great concern to me.”

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BREAKING: PDP Suspends Anyim, Fayose

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Anyim and Fayose

Former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; former president of the Senate, Pius Anyim; Prof Dennis Ityavyar and Aslam Aliyu were on Thursday suspended from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP made the suspension on Thursday after an extensive review of the affairs of the party, pursuant to the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).

The PDP also referred the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, to the National Disciplinary Committee over his reported involvement in anti-party activities.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.

“The PDP urges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our party across the country to remain united and focused at this critical time,” the statement added.

 

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BREAKING: Ekweremadu, Wife Found Guilty Of Organ-trafficking In UK

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Ekweremadu and his wife

A United Kingdom court has found former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, his wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 50,  guilty of an organ-trafficking plot, which saw them bring a 21-year-old man to the UK

They were convicted of conspiring to exploit the man from Lagos for his kidney, reports the BBC.

Prosecutors told the Old Bailey the organ was to be removed and given to the couple’s daughter, Sonia, aged 25.

She was cleared of the same charge.

The victim, a street trader from Lagos, was brought to the UK last year to provide a kidney in an £80,000 private transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

They were later arrested at the airport while trying to leave the UK.

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NLC Orders Workers To Shut CBN Offices Nationwide Over Naira Scarcity

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NLC Suspends Plan To Protest Against Fuel Subsidy Removal

Worried about the continued scarcity of naira, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has officially declared a nationwide . The national president of the union, Joe Ajaero, gave the directive during a media briefing in Abuja.

Ajaero also directed that affiliate unions constituting the NLC should be on standby for picketing exercises across all branches of the Central Bank of Nigeria nationwide.

The NLC earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to end the petrol and cash scarcity being experienced in the country.

Ajaero told journalists on Wednesday that the industrial action became the last resort of the NLC following the expiration of the ultimatum.

He said the decision to picket the CBN branches became necessary as the federal government and the CBN had failed to show any commitment to addressing the situation.

Ajaero lamented that despite the Supreme Court order that the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes remain legal tender until December 31, 2023, the situation kept getting worse.

He said workers could not access cash to pay fares to work.

He also criticised the pricing irregularities in the petroleum sector.

“Last week, we gave an ultimatum for the review of the cash crunch bedevilling the country, but we have discovered to our dismay that as at this moment not much effort has been made to ameliorate the situation. Government is still foot-dragging on these issues we raised,” Ajaero said.

“Based on this, we met again this morning to review our position and resolved that by Wednesday next week all CBN branches will be picketed. Workers are directed to stay at home too because people cannot eat, workers can no longer go to the office, we have been pushed to the wall.

“We have decided to take our destiny in our hands, we have mobilised our workers on this exercise.”

The NLC has no fewer than 43 affiliate unions which include, but not limited to, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, and the National Union of Road Transport Workers.

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