The pervasive outrage that trailed the gruesome murder of Lagos-based lawyer, Bolanle Raheem is reminiscent of protestations and demonstrations that greeted the killing of George Floyd in the United States. In May 2020, footage emerged of a police officer named Derek Chauvin, kneeling on the neck of Floyd which led to him being asphyxiated to death. This cruelty sparked Black Lives Matter protests in major cities of the world. Perhaps, if not that there had been the debilitating #EndSARS protest in October 2020, the anger over how Mrs. Raheem was killed would have provoked one. Given the rage and condemnation that has since trailed the barbaric act, it is good to know that Nigerians have not lost their humanity after all.
Raheem, said to be seven-months pregnant with twins, was murdered in cold blood on Christmas Day barely two years after the #EndSARS nationwide protests against police brutality and extrajudicial killings in the country. She was reportedly shot by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Drambi Vandi. The cop and his team, who are attached to the Ajiwe Police Station in the Ajah axis of Lagos State, were said to have tried to stop the car Raheem and her kin was riding in, while they were attempting to make a U-turn under the Ajah Bridge. The woman gave up the ghost after being rushed to the hospital.
Prominent Nigerians, including the top three presidential candidates, wasted no time in reacting to the sad incident, calling for a reform of the police. Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has also condemned the “heinous and senseless” murder of the lawyer and directed the police authorities to take “the strongest possible action” against the culprit. While condemning the killings, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pledged the state government’s “full cooperation” with the relevant authorities to ensure speedy justice in the matter. And in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, signed by its acting chairman, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi (retd), the Police Service Commission granted approval for the immediate suspension of Vandi from duty.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has denied media reports that he and his four other colleagues have struck a deal with the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer, Bola Tinubu.
Several reports emerged on Friday that the five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had struck a deal with Tinubu to form an alliance ahead of next year’s presidential election.
One of the reports said Tinubu and the five governors met on Wednesday in the United Kingdom at the London residence of the APC presidential candidate where a deal to work together was finalized.
It was said that part of the deal is that the APC candidate will not make any financial commitment to the ruling party’s candidates whose positions are being sacrificed for the G-5 governors.
Also, it was reported that Tinubu would deflate his party’s campaign in the respective states to accommodate the interests of the G-5 as one of the demands of the governors.
Speaking during the flag-off of the construction of Eneka-Igbo Etche Road in Port Harcourt on Friday, Wike stated clearly that he and the G5 have not struck a deal with any presidential candidate.
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reappointment of Professor Mojisola Adeyeye as the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
In a tweet via its official Twitter handle on Friday, the government agency disclosed that Adeyeye was reappointed for the second and final tenure of five years.
The tweet added that Adeyeye met briefly with some Directors of the agency at the Corporate Headquarters in Abuja after her reappointment.
It wrote, “Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye has been reappointed as the @DGatNAFDAC for the second and final tenure of five years. She stopped by briefly at the corporate headquarters in Abuja to meet with some Directors.”
More details of the deal struck between the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the five aggrieved Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have emerged.
The five aggrieved governors include; Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).
Tinubu and the five governors had on Wednesday met in the United Kingdom at the London residence of the APC presidential candidate where a deal to work together for the 2023 presidency was struck, Naija News reports.
Those in attendance include Governor of Jigawa State, Badaru Abubakar, and former governor of Ekiti State, John Kayode Fayemi, who are chieftains of the ruling party and Tinubu’s allies.
A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has responded to reports that he is set to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The former Rivers State Governor also reacted to claims that he is not in support of the APC Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket because it contradicts his belief as a devout catholic.
Truetells Nigeria understands a former Senior Special Adviser to former Vice President Namadi Sambo on Media and Publicity Umar Sani had claimed Amaechi is on his way to the PDP.
He also said according to reports that Amaechi won’t support the Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima ticket of the APC because it’s a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
The former aide was quoted to have made the submission on a Twitter programme, HardTalk.
In a bid to avoid arrest and prosecution for allegedly financing terrorism, the embattled Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has reportedly concluded plans to seek refugee status in the United Kingdom.
Truetells Nigeria had earlier reported that the Department of State Security Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) had been stopped by a High Court in Abuja from arresting and detaining Godwin Emefiele.
The security agencies had made moves to arrest Emefiele over allegations of terrorism and sundry offences against him.
The court on Thursday also restrained the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the CBN, who are listed as 1st, 2nd and 5th defendants.
The presiding judge, Justice MA Hassan gave the order while delivering judgment in a suit marked FCT/HC/CV/GAR/41/2022, filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership.
Justice Hassan before the ruling on Thursday had on the 19th of December granted an exparte application restraining the defendants from arresting and detaining the CBN governor.
The romance between the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is reportedly unsettling the camp of the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Despite being named as the special adviser on infrastructure in the Presidential Campaign Council of Tinubu, Amaechi, who came second during the presidential primaries of the APC in June, has largely been sidelined from the ruling party’s campaign.
The former governor of Rivers State, who was the campaign DG of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and 2019, has not been participating in the campaign exercise of the APC.
Amaechi, who has been at loggerheads with Wike since 2013, is reportedly unhappy with Tinubu’s romance with his political rival.
A source close to him said: “It is an understatement to say he (Amaechi) is not happy. When Oshiomhole went to Port Harcourt, he asked the people to only support Tinubu and that for the other positions, they should support Wike. A similar thing was re-echoed when the Ebonyi governor visited the state.”
According to fresh reports on Friday, the five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have struck an agreement with the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The five aggrieved governors include; Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).
Tinubu and the five governors had on Wednesday met in Europe at the London residence of the APC presidential candidate where a deal on striking an alliance for the 2023 presidency was concluded, Naija News reports.
Those in attendance include the G5 governors, Governor of Jigawa State, Badaru Abubakar and former governor of Ekiti State, John Kayode Fayemi.
According to Daily Trust, before the commencement of the meeting all other persons present at Tinubu’s residence were excused.
The Presidency has slammed the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Mathew Kukah, over his comments on President Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that the Bishop in his Christmas message on Sunday had stated that President Buhari was leaving Nigeria far more vulnerable than when he came and has failed to fulfill his electoral promises.
Kukah also accused the President of nepotism, failing in tackling insecurity and failing to fight corruption despite hefty promises made to Nigerians seven and half years ago.
Reacting in a lengthy article on Thursday night, Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, said Kukah is suffering from amnesia to have forgotten the state of the nation before the President came to power in 2015.
In the article titled ‘KUKAH DON’T COOK ME NONSENSE’, Adesina said the cleric has been accused many times of being a supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hence his constant criticism of the Buhari government.
The Presidential spokesman argued that his principal has stabilized Nigeria, fought corruption, and never breached any constitution since assuming power.
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been warned not to contemplate sanctioning the five aggrieved governors if they endorse another presidential candidate for the 2023 election.
Truetells Nigeria understands that the aggrieved governors, who are expected back in the country today, have been in the United Kingdom to finalise plans on who to support for next year’s election between Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
Reports had emerged claiming that the leadership of the main opposition party are contemplating sanctioning the governors, known as G5, for their anti-party activities.
Speaking separately to The Nation, two loyalists of Governor Wike warned that any move to sanction the G-5 governors would have grave consequences.
Ogbonna Nwuke and Chidi Lloyd warned that top members of the main opposition party would dump the PDP if the G5 governors are punished for dumping former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for another candidate.
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