✨ One crime scene, two crime scenes ✨
Welcome to the day of fools and foolish things! Perfect day to discuss what’s happening in Nigeria.
In this edition
Election aftermath: court cases, new election dates and more!
Boko Haram graduation
Bank fraud index
Police ban protests
This week’s newsletter is 1,500 words (approx 5 min read)
Election season aftermath
Governorship and HOR elections
On the 18th of March, following dissatisfaction with the elections and the way they were conducted (the violence, the bigotry, the daylight criminal acts of threatening voters, stealing ballot boxes etc. you know, some of you were there), INEC had to make alternative arrangements
In Adamawa, Abia, Kebbi and Enugu, INEC suspended the release of the election results
They resolved the matter in Abia and Enugu: Labour Party candidate Alex Otti as Abia’s incoming governor, and PDP’s Peter Mba was announced as Enugu’s winner.
However, the issue in Adamawa and Kebbi has not yet been resolved. INEC’s decision for these two was to hold another election for the governorship, and national and state Assembly election on Saturday, 15th of April.
Speaking of crime
INEC says that they are using over N3 billion to defend the results of the elections and challenge the petitions against them.
So far, over 100 election petitions have been filed by aggrieved candidates and their parties across the country. Specifically in Edo, Plateau, Ondo, Kwara, Ogun, Bayelsa, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Bauchi, Lagos and Niger states.
Documents obtained by The Punch, and a conversation with the INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu revealed that this N3 billion is in addition to N5 billion that the commission had already budgeted for petitions against them from the primary elections (I imagine a solution would have been to cut the crap but what do I know?)
People getting served
The Presidential Election Petition Court has permitted Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (Labour Party) and the Allied Peoples Movement to serve their petitions on Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima, and Kabir Masari through the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The court granted the request while ruling on three separate applications filed by Atiku, Peter Obi, and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
The lawyers for the petitioners argued that it was difficult to reach the politicians personally, so they asked to serve the petitions through the APC.
Insecurity
Boko Haram has set up a base in a recruitment centre in Dinallahi, a village in Niger. Like a visible space like a terrorist career centre where they plan to teach people extremist ideas
The migration to Dinallahi is due to many Boko Haram members fleeing from their hideout in Nigeria to escape attacks from ISWAP, another group… a rival terrorist group.
These fleeing members are now entering Niger, which has led to more kidnappings and attacks. This region is used as a way for people to travel from West Africa to Libya, Somalia, Algeria, and Europe.
While some terrorists are teaching kids to become terrorists, the Nigerian government is teaching other terrorists to not be terrorists in their terrorist rehabilitation program (the overuse of the word “terrorist” in this sentence is intentional).
The Nigerian Army has graduated 594 ex-Boko Haram members who underwent a six-month programme to deradicalize, rehabilitate, and reintegrate them back into society.
The programme was held in Gombe State, and the graduates included 4 international terrorists: 3 Niger and 1 from Chad.
The ex-insurgents underwent medical tests, and training in various vocational skills and denounced their Boko Haram membership, promising to be loyal, obedient, and responsible citizens.
The government plans to re-integrate more “clients” in the future and offer new vocations.
Don’t worry, the Army is still fighting terrorists.
Kidnappers and police lies
Six people working for the INEC were kidnapped in Kogi State during the state's House of Assembly election.
The family members of the kidnapped officials have asked the authorities for help after the abductors demanded a ransom of N50 million before their release.
The police previously claimed that they had rescued 96 people from the attack and that two people were missing.
However, the family members of those in captivity disputed the police’s claims. A man whose sister is one of those in captivity told Guardian NG that six people are missing.
They’re hoping the government intervenes.
Fraud & other crimes
Bank Fraud
In news that will surprise no one, a report by the Financial Institutions Training Center (FITC) found that banks lost more money to fraud cases, resulting in a total loss of N3.62 billion from July to September (Q3) 2022.
According to FITC’s “Frauds and Forgeries in Nigerian Banks” report, there was a drop in the number of reported fraud cases, but banks lost 9.62 billion in Q3 2022 (from 8.78 billion between April and June 2022).
However, the amount of money lost jumped by over 200%
The report identified mobile theft, fraudulent withdrawals and cash theft as the top three fraud channels in Q3 2022.
Election fraud
A lawyer named Umar Hussaini, who worked for the former head of Nigeria Customs Service, has been found guilty of fraud by a court.
According to the lawsuit, Hussaini tricked a businessman into paying N1.1 billion into the account of his law firm by pretending to be working on behalf of the customs service.
He tried to avoid punishment by making excuses and blaming others, but the court found enough evidence to convict him. The judge sentenced him to seven years in prison for each of two counts of fraud, with an option to pay a N100 million fine. He must also pay N100 million in compensation to the businessman and his company. The convict will remain in prison until he pays the fine.
Ekweremadu
Former Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and their doctor Obinna Obeta have been found guilty of organ trafficking under the Modern Slavery Act in the UK.
They were convicted for facilitating the travel of a young man to the UK with the intention to exploit him for his kidney.
The sentencing is set for May 5, and they could face prison time.
The prosecutor said that the three treated the young man and other potential donors as "disposable assets" for their benefit. Ekweremadu denied the charges, claiming to be a victim of a scam.
Ekweremadu's daughter Sonia was cleared of charges.
Chrisland School
The Lagos State Government has filed charges against Chrisland School Limited and four of its staff for the death of a 12-year-old student, Whitney Adeniran. - Punch
Whitney died by electrocution during the school's inter-house sports activities in February. The charges include involuntary manslaughter and reckless and negligent acts.
The charges carry a penalty of life imprisonment and two-year jail terms.
Unconstitutional?
Nasarawa
The police in Nasarawa state, Nigeria banned protests in the state.
The police said made this decision due to a security report and to maintain peace.
The police warned parents and guardians to ensure that their children do not violate this order as anyone caught shall be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
The ban was put in place after persistent protests by women who are believed to be supporters of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, demanding a review of the results of the 2023 governorship election.
A journalist and publisher of CrossRiver Watch, Agba Jalingo, has been remanded in Kuje Correctional Center in Nigeria for allegedly publishing an article that was deemed insulting to Mrs Elizabeth Ayade, the wife of the younger brother of the Cross River State Governor.
According to Punch, the article Agba wrote questioned why Paschal Aboh, was facing trial for allegedly impersonating a student of the Nigerian Law School, Abuja campus
Jalingo had in the said article, Agba was charged with two counts of false publication intended to cause annoyance, ill will, and insult.
Mrs Ayade demanded an apology, retraction of the article, and N500 million in damages from Mr Jalingo. Police arrested Jalingo from his residence in Lagos and flew him to Abuja.
He pleaded not guilty to both charges and the trial was set to hold on the 30th of March.
On the 31st, Agba was granted bail at N500,000.
The case has been adjourned until May 31st
Other News
At least 19 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa died when their boat sank off the Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a human rights group said on Sunday, the latest migrant boat disaster off Tunisia - Reuter
Property worth millions of naira were destroyed by rainstorms in some parts of Akure, the Ondo State capital and some other towns in the state - Punch
Agropartnership Founders Uyi Osayimwense and Osayi Osazuwa ‘Flee’ With Investor’s N2.25m - FIJ.ng
NDLEA Applauds Reps Members For Rejecting Cannabis Bill - Leadership
Ogun State government has commenced an investigation into illegal dumping of industrial waste along the bush stretch of Long Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway - Guardian NG
A Labour Party governorship aspirant in the forthcoming governorship primary holding in Imo State, Humphrey Anumudu, has been found dead in his house - Punch
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has confirmed the arrest of a fake traffic officer, Bamidele Omotutu, for extorting unsuspecting members of the public, including traffic offenders in the state - Punch
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday affirmed the election of Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governor of Osun State - Premium Times
Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), yesterday, asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, not to sweep the alleged organ harvesting case, involving high-ranking members of Anambra State Police Command under the carpet. - Guardian NG