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HURIWA Condemns South-East Policing, Uzodinma’s Compensation

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IGP Bans Tinted Vehicles Glasses

A civil rghts advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) has restated her opposition to the unorthodox style of policing in Imo State characterized by massive and indiscriminate arrests of Igbo youths and the illegal detention, torture of these detainees.

The rights group in a statement by its national coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko said the state commissioner of police would inevitably be taken before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands for these crimes against Igbo youths.

Besides,  HURIWA has carpeted the governor of Imo State Mr. Hope Uzodinma over his decision to pay out N5 million each to families of the police operatives killed by the unknown gunmen who attacked police formations in the state.

The rights group said the decision to pay compensation to the police families through the Imo State Police commissioner was wrong even when the dozens of innocent Imo youths killed by security operatives have yet to be accounted for and their families compensated.

The group recalled that the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Mr. Abutu Yaro, had  explained why security operatives were embarking on indiscriminate arrests in the state by claiming  that the “emergency situation” in the state had led to the incessant arrests.

HURIWA quoted the police commissioner in Imo State as having said thus: “People have raised concern about the incessant arrests in the state, but what people do not know is that incessant crimes lead to incessant arrests. In the last few months, Imo has been tagged an emergency or red flag state but we must work hard to restore peace and confidence in the state.”

HURIWA, however, accused the police commissioner and his operatives of hiding under the emergency situation in Imo State to perpetrate horrendous human rights violations including alleged extralegal killings of Igbo youths and the dumping of their bodies indiscriminately at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri and other publicly operated health facilities in the state.

According to HURIWA, the police in civilised climes deploy intelligence-led investigative mechanisms before determining the exact crime suspects to arrest because indiscriminate arrests of citizens leads to committing of horrendous human rights violations which in effect could attract huge bills in damages against the state if cases of arbitrary arrests and detention are instituted in the courts of law.

The rights group assured the citizens of Imo State that these killings would not go unpunished because efforts were being made at various strata of the civil rights platforms worldwide to compile the evidence of mass killings, indiscriminate arrests and vicious breaches of the fundamental human rights of the citizens committed by the police and other security forces to be sent to the International Criminal Court in The Hague Netherlands for further action.

HURIWA also tackled the Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, over some statements he made  on Saturday, June 12, 2021, including a promise he made to set up a judicial commission of inquiry on the violence in Imo State. Uzodimma spoke in Owerri on a phone-in programme on Imo Broadcasting Corporation, IBC, marking June 12 democracy day.

The rights group said it was wrong for the Imo State governor to continue to tell the media that disgruntled politicians are behind the violence that threatened the peace in Imo State but at the same time promising to set up a judicial investigative panel on the same issue that he has already made up his mind that he knew those behind the violence in the state.

HURIWA said that since the Imo State governor told the media severally that he knew those behind the attacks that targeted several government assets in the state, it was then a sheer waste of time and the resources of the state for him to set up a judicial commission which will definitely not be independent since  he has already conjured up the list of those of his political adversaries he thinks are behind the attacks.

“This commission of inquiry the Imo State governor intends to set up in two weeks time won’t achieve any meaningful results because the governor himself has already messed up the ethical standing of this commission by drawing conclusions on those who sponsored the attacks in Imo State.

“Why the dissipation of energy and the collosal waste of Imo people’s scarce resources constituting the judicial panel? Is the panel being set up to provide some sort of credibility to the widespread allegations you have canvassed on many media platforms? This is like setting up a kangaroo commission and Imo State people are too sophisticated to be hoodwinked”.

HURIWA also upbraided Uzodinma for arbitrarily paying out N5 million compensation each to the families of the policemen who unfortunately lost their lives in the Imo State mayhem even before he sets up the commission of inquiry to determine the exact number of policemen killed and the circumstances of their deaths.

HURIWA says the governor has committed a big blunder by paying out such cash compensation through the state commissioner of police even when this same police commissioner is alleged to have carried out massive arrests of Imo youths with a lot of allegations of extralegal killings of innocent Imo youths.

HURIWA recalled that Uzodimma had said: “My administration had taken steps to visit and commiserate with the families of policemen who lost their lives in Imo and that through the Commissioner of Police, N5million was handed over to each of the families of the policemen who lost their lives. There is no compensation that can equate the life lost, but we owe it a duty to identify with the families of the deceased policemen as a responsible government. We are also looking forward to immortalising those who lost their lives during this period in Imo.”

But HURIWA faulted Uzodinma for paying compensations only to the policemen killed but has not spoken a word about the dozens of Imo citizens killed by policeman and soldiers intentionally or through accidental discharges in the past few weeks of internal security operations in Imo State and South-East of Nigeria.

“Why the hurry to compensate policemen without compensating those killed by the policemen and soldiers especially the innocent youths framed up by the police and killed and dumped in several places? So what will the commission of inquiry be recommending after you as the governor has already decided on those to compensate and why should the commissioner of police who should be dragged to the International Criminal Court be the person to distribute the compensations from Imo State treasury?”

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Arrest Interim Govt Plotters Now – Governors

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Tambuwal Emerges Chairman Of Governors' Forum
Governor Tambuwal

Governors of the 36 states have asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest and prosecute those involved in a plot to put in place an interim government as part of moves to truncate the nation’s democracy.

Condemning the move, the governors under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum assured of their commitment to continue in the defence of Nigeria’s democracy as elected leaders.

In a statement on Friday by NGF Chairman and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal at the end of the 4th meeting of the Governors, he warned the DSS against issuing statements without arrest as that amounts to heating the polity.

Tambuwal said, “The Forum deliberated extensively on the alleged plot by some unscrupulous elements to install an interim government, as contained in the recent statement issued by the Department for State Services (DSS). Governors condemned in the strongest terms, any unconstitutional means of regime change and pledged its commitment to continue to defend Nigeria’s democracy as elected leaders.

“In addition, the Forum believes that issuing statements without arrests is akin to heating up the polity and causing unwarranted tension in the country. It called on the DSS to do its job by immediately arresting and prosecuting all those involved in the plot as a matter of urgency.”

Recall that the DSS had on Wednesday confirmed rumours that a section of the political class was planning for an interim government in order to truncate the result of the recently-concluded general elections.

The Spokesman for the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya in a statement said that the agency had identified some key players in the plot for an Interim Government in Nigeria but did not give the names of the masterminds.

The agency had said that the planners of the interim government had already held several meetings, during which they weighed many options to actualize their plot including sponsoring endless mass protests across Nigerian cities, securing a warrant to declare a state of emergency or a court injunction to stop the inauguration of the executive and the legislature at the federal and state levels.

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BREAKING:Lagos Govt Arraigns Chrisland School, Principal, Others Over Death Of Pupil Whitney Adeniran

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Chrisland pupil Whitney

The Lagos State government has arraigned Chrisland School, Opebi, its principal, vice principal and two other employees over the death of one of the school’s pupils, 12-year-old Whitney Adeniran.

On Wednesday, the government of Lagos State had filed charges against Chrisland School and four others over the death of the 12-year-old pupil, Whitney Adeniran.

The school and its workers were accused of involuntary manslaughter and reckless and negligent acts.

The workers who were arraigned before Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja include Ademoye Adewale, Kuku Fatai, Mrs Belinda Amao, Nwatu Ugochi Victoria and Chrisland School Limited.

The school principal, Mrs Belinda Amao, broke down in tears while in the dock as the court and counsel tried to agree on a date for the commencement of the trial.

Whitney died during the school’s inter-house sports competition at Agege Stadium in Lagos on February 9.

Blessing Adeniran, her mother, had accused Chrisland of negligence over her daughter’s death.

The school’s management, however, dismissed insinuations that there was foul play in the death, saying she slumped in public.

Chrisland also argued that Whitney complained about “not-too-buoyant health” a few days before she died.

However, an autopsy conducted at the Lagos State University Hospital (LASUTH) confirmed that the deceased died from “asphyxia and electrocution”.

In the charges filed on behalf of the state government by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Babajide Martins, who disclosed that their negligence killed Whitney because they failed to ensure her safety.

The charge also disclosed that they all acted in a reckless and negligent manner that endangered human life.

The offences are contrary to Sections 224 & 251 of the Criminal Law, C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015

If found guilty, the offences carry a penalty of life imprisonment and two-year jail terms respectively.

On Tuesday, the state government granted access to Chrisland High School, Opebi branch, to open for physical learning ahead of the school’s forthcoming examination after parents’ appeal.

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had ordered that the school be shut down on March 3, 2023, following the investigation into Whitney’s death.

Sanwo-Olu through the state Ministry of Education said the closure of the school would pave the way for unhindered investigation and afford all stakeholders, including parents, students, staff and friends of the deceased, time to grieve.

The reopening followed an appeal by the Parents of all Chrisland School Units who visited the Ministry of Education on Monday to seek the government’s understanding for “the sake of 500 plus students some of whom also have terminal examinations.”

The management of the school had tendered an apology over Whitney’s death.

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BREAKING: Abacha’s Ex-chief Of Staff Oladipo Diya Dies

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Diya

Retired Lt.General Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya, the former Chief of Staff in General Sani Abacha’s military government, is dead.

His death was confirmed by Prince Oyesinmilola Diya. He said the former military administrator of Ogun State passed on to glory in the early hours of 26th March 2023.

Born on the 3rd of April, 1944, Diya was military Governor of Ogun State after the Buhari-Idiagbon coup of December 31st, 1983.

Diya joined the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and fought during the Nigerian Civil War.

He later attended the US Army School of Infantry, the Command and Staff College, Jaji (1980–1981) and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.

While serving in the military, Diya studied law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained an LLB degree, and then at the Nigerian Law School, where he was called to bar as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

He held other top military posts like GOC, 82 Division and finally the Chief of General Staff (military Vice President) to Gen Sani Abacha

The statement read: “On behalf of the entire Diya family home and abroad; we announce the passing on to Glory of our dear Husband,Father, Grandfather,brother, Lt- General Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya (Rtd) GCON, LLB, BL, PSC, FSS, mni.

“Our dear Daddy passed onto glory in the early hours of 26th March 2023. Please keep us in your prayers as we mourn his demise in this period. Further announcements will be made public in due course.

“Barrister Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, on behalf of the family.”

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