Tricycle driver, passenger die in tanker accident

 

Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Tuesday rescued 4 fatal accident victims involved in a a tricycle accident around Ikotun area of Lagos State.

The accident which occurred around 12:30 involved a fully loaded container truck (JJJ 125) and 4 tricycles with registration nos (LSD 83 QM), (AKD 690 QK) & (AKL 87 QF)

The driver of one of the tricycles with one passenger died instantly.

The four (4) rescued accident victims were 2 pregnant women and 2 children.

Mr. Adebayo Taofiq the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department said the personnel immediately handed over those rescued victims to police men from Ikotun police station who took them to General Hospital for treatment.

A statement he issues read "A preliminary investigation revealed that the fully loaded container truck (JJJ 125) had a brake failure and crushed 3 tricycles by a valley around synagogue when going towards Ikotun.The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) immediately moved the tanker with those crushed tricycles to Ikotun police station . Other emergency responders including the Nigerian Police men from Ikotun police station were at the scene of the accident.The General Manager of LASTMA Mr Bolaji Oreagba however warned tanker owners and drivers to always ensure that their trucks are properly checked and in good conditions before embarking on any journey". 

 

Arresting bank officials, syndicates selling currency notes is not the solution to our suffering - Nigerians lament

 

Angry Nigerians have called on the Department of State Services to ensure that Nigerians do not continue to suffer and provoked to revolt against the government.

They stated this following report by the DSS that syndicates and bank officials selling the new naira currency notes are being arrested. Reacting to the arrest of the syndicates, one Toba Israel said the DSS had to go after government agencies trying to provoke anger in people to revolt and destabilise the country. 

" How many syndicates can the DSS arrest all over the country? The DSS is just looking for a needle in a big house. Don't they know why those syndicates exists? They are cashing out on the government policy on the naira swap which was not well thought out by the government. The federal government is pushing Nigerians to the wall and very soon people will not be able to take it anymore. Those hoarding and selling the new notes are just opportunists. Someone or some people are trying very hard to destroy our democracy and the DSS is busy pursuing shadows". 

One Benjamin Emmanuel said" I was at the queue at the ATM for two hours before I got the new cash. That is after spending hours the previous day to buy fuel. Since the government is aware that the new notes are being hoarded and sold at higher rates, then why keep frustrating us? They claimed that they have gotten 75percent of the old naira currency notes. The best thing is to call off the deadline for the old naira swap and allow people bring in the old notes to the banks without any pressure of deadline. It will stop people from hoarding the new naira notes and that way the new notes will be in circulation. When you make something scare, definitely the demand will become high and and expensive. Also , the nefarious people will take advantage of the situation and inflict more pain on the people considering the fact that we don't have a price control mechanism. Telling the DSS to arrest those hoarding the fuel, the new currency and the food is a fruitless exercise. How many syndicates can they arrest? ". 

 

Man Served 99 Years Prison Term For Stealing Horse

 

A 117-year old man from Texas was liberated from prison this morning after outliving a 99-year sentence, becoming the first prisoner to do so in the history of the United States.

Grandson of one the most famous horse thief in American history, Henry William Borne was arrested by the Texas Rangers in 1919 for being part of in an important horse-stealing ring.

Borne, his father and seven other accomplices were accused of stealing over 7,000 horses and mules, including a lot of 1,735 horses destined to the American military effort in the first World War.

The eight others were sentenced to death and hanged in 1920, while Borne, who was underage when the crimes were committed, was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

Unexpectedly, the Amarillo native actually survived his sentence, which was spent in a total of 11 different detention centers.

He was liberated this morning from the Central Unit Prison, in Sugar Land, after spending almost an entire century behind bars.

Visibly emotional, Mr. Borne expressed his worries about adapting to life in the 21st Century.

“I saw a few cars once as a kid when I went to Dallas. I’ve been watching TV and I know they’re now everywhere, but I’ll have to get used to it.”

Despite his long incarceration, the 117-year old man also fears he could have difficulty adapting to a life without crime.

All I’ve ever been outside prison is a horse thief. That’s the only thing I was good at. I bet I’d still be better than most of today’s horse thieves, even at my age.”

Despite his fears, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice considers there is a “very low risk” that he will resume his life of crime.

In fact, the number of horse theft has constantly dropped over the last century and the use of identification microchips over recent years has made such crimes much easier to solve.

Punishment for horse theft can still be severe, as one woman in Arkansas was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 2011 theft of five horses.

source : newyorkmaze.com 

Anguish as POS operators charge N500 on N5000 as DSS arrests bank officials, others for selling currency notes.

 

The Department of State Services (DSS) has intercepted some members of organised syndicates involved in the sale of the new redesigned naira notes in parts of the country.

DSS also stated that some Commercial Bank officials are aiding the economic malfeasance.  

Meanwhile, POS operators are smiling to the banks as they are making brisk business from the scarcity of the naira notes. 

Our correspondent who visited the stands observed that for every N5000 cash withdrawn from the POS operators, they charge N500 as additional fees against N100 they were collecting before the rush last weekend to end the swap of old naira notes. 

Also, the POS operators were observed at the Automated Teller Machines ATM of banks withdrawing huge sum of money with different ATM cards and this has worsen the long queues at the ATMs. 

A resident who said he had visited two ATM points , stated that POS operators should be checked. 

" On Saturday, I went to two ATM points. I had left my house before 7am and I didn't get money to cash from the POS until 6pm.When I went to the first ATM, I noticed that some people were busy withdrawing money with different ATM cards. Some had about 15 cards on them. I waited patiently for my turn but as it was about to get to me, the ATM stopped dispensing cash. I was sad. I started going about until I got to one of the banks and noticed a few people were on the queue. I decided to wait but the queue was slow. Then I noticed that the same scenario was playing out . Eventually, I got money to withdraw. However when I was heading home after paying for the ride, the bikeman collected new currency note from me and gave me old notes as balance. He said he didn't have new notes. I had to accept". 

Speaking on the arrest , Peter Afunnaya the spokesperson for the DSS said ". 

Consequently, the Service warns the currency racketeers to desist from this ignoble act. Appropriate regulatory authorities are, in this same vein, urged to step up monitoring and supervisory activities to expeditiously address the emerging trends. 

It should be noted that the Service has ordered its Commands and Formations to further ensure that all persons and groups engaged in the illegal sale of the notes are identified. Therefore, anyone with useful information relating to this is encouraged to pass the same to the relevant authorities. 

Journalist charged for alleged Cybercrime

 

A Nigerian journalist Agba Jalingo, has been charged for cybercrime.

It was gathered that the Cross River State government had filed a cybercrime lawsuit against Jalingo, who is the publisher of the privately owned news website CrossRiverWatch.

 Jalingo told CPJ via messaging app that he is expected in court on February 14, 2023.

A two counts of Section 24 (1)b of Nigeria's Cybercrimes Act was slammed against over his outlet's June 2022 report on Elizabeth Alami Frank Ayade, the sister-in-law of Governor Ben Ayade. If convicted, Jalingo could be imprisoned for three years and fined 7 million naira (US$15,200).

"Nigerian authorities should drop their prosecution and legal harassment of Agba Jalingo and allow him to work without fear of arrest," said Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa program coordinator, in New York. "Lawmakers in Nigeria should recognize that their country's Cybercrime Act has been repeatedly used to prosecute the press and reform it to ensure journalism is not criminalized."

CPJ has repeatedly documented the use of Nigeria's Cybercrimes Act to detain and charge journalists for their work.

The June 30, 2022, CrossRiverWatch article alleged that Elizabeth Ayade paid someone else to take an examination for her while in law school. The charge sheet accuses Jalingo of publishing falsehoods and says the publication intended to cause Ayade "annoyance, ill will and insult."

Jalingo was previously arrested on August 19, 2022, over the same article, after Elizabeth Ayade filed a defamation and cyberattack complaint to police and requested the outlet retract the report and pay 500 million naira (US$1,086,300) in damages or face litigation. As of January 26, the report remains online.

Fidelis Ogbobe, the prosecutor in the case, told CPJ by phone that he did not regard Jalingo as a journalist and said the charges followed Jalingo's refusal to retract the publication, which Ogbobe described as a "falsehood." When CPJ inquired why Jalingo was not considered a journalist and asked additional questions, the line disconnected, and Ogbobe did not respond to subsequent calls.

In 2019 and 2020, authorities detained Jalingo for nearly six months and charged him with cybercrime and other offenses. The charges were later dropped, and the regional Economic Community of West Africa court ordered Nigerian authorities to pay Jalingo compensation for his detention in July 2021. As of January 26, Jalingo said he has yet to receive any payment.

PRESIDENT BUHARI APPROVES EXTENSION OF CURRENCY SWAP BY TEN DAYS

 

 

President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday in Daura, Katsina State, approved extension of the ongoing currency swap by ten days, moving the deadline from January 31, 2023 to February 10, 2023.

 

President Buhari gave the approval at a meeting with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, urging more time, discretion and order to enable Nigerians successfully change their currencies to the redesigned notes, and reduce the risk of loss, especially among the underserved in rural areas. 

 

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the CBN Governor said the currency swap had achieved more than 75 per cent success rate of the N2.7 trillion held outside the banking system, with evident drop in rate of inflation, more stability of foreign exchange rates, and noticeable impact on security, especially in banditry and kidnapping figures. 

 

"First, I will like to thank Mr. President for giving the CBN the approval to embark on this ambitious programme because, like I said, in the past, the CBN has not had the opportunity to embark on such currency redesign programme in last 19 years and indeed, let me emphasize, that only an incorruptible leader of the President's stature can give such approval to the CBN," he said.

 

The CBN Governor noted that redesigns were supposed to be every five to eight years.

 

"Our aim is mainly to make Monetary Policy Decisions more efficacious and as you can see; we have started to see inflation trending downwards and exchange rates relatively stable. 

 

"Secondly, we aim to support the efforts of our security agencies in combating banditry and ransom taking in Nigeria through this programme and we see that the military are making good progress in this important task," he added.

 

The head of the apex financial regulator said available data had shown that currency-in- circulation in 2015 was only N1.4 trillion, while as at October 2022, currency in circulation had risen to N3.23 trillion, out of which only N500 billion was within the banking industry.

 

He said N2.7 trillion was held permanently in people's homes. 

 

"Ordinarily, when CBN releases currency into circulation, it is meant to be used and after effluxion of time, it returns to the CBN thereby keeping the volume of currency in circulation under the firm control of the CBN. 

 

"So far and since commencement of this programme, we have collected about N1.9 trillion; leaving us with about N900 billion (N500 billion + N1.9 trillion),'' the CBN Governor said.

 

According to Emefiele, to achieve effective distribution of the new currency, the CBN has taken some steps.

 

He said several meetings were held with Deposit Money Banks and they were provided with Guidance Notes on processes they must adopt in the collection of old notes and distribution of the New Notes, including directives that new notes should be loaded in ATMs nationwide for equitable and transparent mechanism.

 

The CBN Governor explained that the regulatory body worked with the media, print and broadcast, and the National Orientation Agency for sensitization of citizens, while 30,000 Super Agents were deployed nationwide, particularly in rural areas, regions underserved by banks and to reach the weak and vulnerable for currency swap. 

 

To ensure compliance, Emefiele said staff members, mostly Assistant Directors, Deputy Directors and Directors in Abuja were sent to all CBN branches nationwide to join the mass mobilization campaign and monitoring programmes. 

 

He said breaches of the programme had been reported to the EFCC and ICPC for further action. 

 

"Aside from those holding illicit/stolen Naira in their homes for speculative purposes, we do aim to give all Nigerians that have Naira legitimately earned and trapped, the opportunity to deposit their legitimately trapped monies at the CBN for exchange," he stated.

 

"Based on the foregoing, we have sort and obtained Mr President's approval for the following: A ten-day extension of the deadline from January 31, 2023, to February 10, 2023; to allow for collection of more old notes legitimately held by Nigerians and achieve more success in cash swap in our rural communities after which all old notes outside CBN losses their legal tender status," the Governor explained.

 

Emefiele said a seven-day grace period had been given by the President, beginning from February 10 to February 17, 2023, in compliance with Sections 20 (3) and 22 of CBN Act allowing Nigerians to deposit their old notes at the CBN after the February deadline. 

 

Fielding questions from newsmen, the CBN Governor said the excuse of security threats pushed by the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, had no bearing on the swap, which had achieved compliance and recorded huge success across the country. 

 

"I don't understand the relationship between the CBN policy and security challenges in Kano State," he added. 

 

He noted that all new currencies had security features that make it easy for tracking to bank branches, and the process had begun to deal with defaulters and those who breached the programme.

 

"Even if they are CBN staff, they will be sanctioned," Emefiele warned. 

 

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President 

(Media & Publicity)

January 29, 2023

Three CPs "dragging" Lagos state police command.

        

 

Controversy has arisen in Lagos police command as in less than two days, three commissioners of police have been identified as commissioner of police in the state. 

A report early in the week read that according to a recommendation from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba to the Police Service Commission (PSC) CP Idowu Owohunwa is being posted to Lagos and CP Frank Mba will be redeployed to head Ogun State Command.

According to the authorities, the proposed posting of commissioners of police, signed by the Force Secretary , AIG Hafiz Inuwa . Owohunwa who hails from Kogi State, holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Studies and Policing from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.

A Chevening Scholar, he holds a Diploma in Police Strategic Management at the University of Virginia, USA. He is a graduate of the globally recognized FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, USA.Owohunwa served as PSO-IGP between 2015 and 2016, and as PSO to the immediate past IGP, Mohammed Adamu. He is still Principal Staff Officer to IGP Alkali Baba.

Mba, a lawyer and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), is an alumnus of the University of Dundee, Scotland – United Kingdom, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Law.An IVLP scholar with a Diploma in Police Strategic Management from the University of Virginia, USA, Mba is a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy (FBINA) in Quantico, Virginia, USA.He holds a Certificate in National and International Security from Harvard University, USA.

He was posted as CP Border Patrol shortly after he graduated from NIPSS (National Insitute of Policy and Strategic Studies).

However ,late on Thursday, news began to make the rounds that CP Frank Mba was deployed to the Lagos state police command. While the news is still being received the Lagos State police Command in a swift reaction, refuted the news of any deployment of a new police commissioner to the state. The Lagos state command spokesperson SP Benjamin Hundeyin said " The Lagos state police command has been inundated with requests for clarification on the status of the Commissioner of Police in the Command.

We wish to state categorically that the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State is still CP Abiodun Alabi, fdc, mnim, psc. For the avoidance of doubt, no Commissioner of Police has been posted to Lagos State.

Members of the public are therefore urged to disregard fake news making the rounds that a new Commissioner of Police has been deployed to Lagos State Police Command.

It is hoped that this clarification would halt the barrage of calls to officers of the Command which has resulted in needless distraction and waste of valuable time.

The Lagos State Police Command will keep residents and the good people of Lagos

State updated whenever the need arises.

This is not the first time controversy will arise over the deployment of a commissioner of police to the Lagos state police command. One of such saga involved the former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, in 2019 few weeks to the general elections. CP Edgal said he was stopped by the police headquarters in Abuja from handing over to the then appointed acting Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun. Journalists were already invited to witness his handover to his Egbetokun when he received a directive from Abuja to suspend the action. 

Reacting to the development, Mr. Ebenezer Omiejalile the coordinator of Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network ACVPN said 

"I hope this not another Dejavu playing out in Lagos State, this remind me of Former CP Edgard Saga it was back and forth until until the emergence of AIG Muazu".