Unlawful detention will no longer be tolerated, AGF warns security agents

By Vivian Michael The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice(AGF) Prince Lateef Fagbemi, Thursday, warned security agents against detaining suspects beyond the time allowed by law. The Minister reiterated that security agents to always abide by provisions of Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution in relation to rights of suspects in their custody. Speaking at the yearly lecture of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), the AGF warned that any security agents found detaining suspects beyond the constitutionally allowed period would be severely sanctioned. His lecture revolved around ‘Governance, Security, and Human Rights’, which he claimed to be momentous as it addresses some of the most pressing issues facing the country today. He said that law enforcement agents must do due their diligence before arresting anyone, adding that situations where people are languishing in detention cells beyond the time allowed under the Constitution or by order of the courts will no longer be tolerated. The AGF warned that appropriate sanctions will be meted out to those found guilty of unlawful detention. According to him, the government of President Bola Tinubu will not condone any reprehensible action and as the Chief Law Officer of the country, he will ensure no one tramples on the rights of another person. The minister said, “I wish to remind our law enforcement agents that they must respect the laws of the land and not keep people in detention beyond a reasonable time as stipulated in Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. “Law enforcement agents must do due their diligence before arresting anyone. Situations where people are languishing in detention cells beyond the time allowed under the constitution or by order of the courts, will no longer be tolerated and appropriate sanctions shall be meted out to those found guilty of contravening the laws of the land. “The government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not condone any reprehensible action and as the chief law officer of this country, I will ensure no one tramples on the rights of another person. “The collaboration of HURIWA in this endeavor cannot be overstated. Your tireless advocacy, and public education are vital to the advancement of human rights in Nigeria. “As we commemorate this 17th lecture series, let us renew our commitment to working together for a Nigeria where good governance, security, and human rights coexist harmoniously.” Concluding, he advised to create a society where every Nigerian can live free from fear and oppression, where their rights are respected, and where justice prevails.

Shaibu warns against violence ahead of Edo governorship poll

Philip Shaibu, the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, has called for peace and denounced violence and anti-democratic actions as the state prepares for the September 21 governorship election. Shaibu, who was impeached on March 18 but reinstated by the court on July 17, made the appeal during a thanksgiving service at St. Paul Catholic Church in Benin to celebrate his legal victory. In his address, Shaibu emphasized the need for unity and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, despite any provocations.  Describing himself as a “child of God,” Shaibu expressed that he had challenged God to demonstrate His presence in his life. “I said, prove to the world that truly I am your son. “They said they will impeach me, and when I go to court and by the time the judgment would come, the tenure would be over. “But God proved them wrong and the judgement came earlier than expected on July 17,” he said. He warned the youths against violence, saying they could be whoever they wanted without going to the streets. “You can be who you want to be when you are consistent and do what is right all the time. “Don’t let anyone disrupt this democracy. “You must stand your ground to make sure that democracy succeeds,” said the deputy governor. He said violence would only lead to suffering, adding that “Nigeria cannot afford to go to war. “There are too many economic problems that need to be solved,” he said. On the allegation that he was the mastermind of the Benin Airport attack, Mr Shaibu said the state government was only trying to cover up. “They killed a policeman and all of them must be picked up. “The men of the vigilance group and Public Work Volunteers did that. “They want to drag people in, so I called on the President and IG to set up an inquiry, not just to investigate but to proscribe the vigilance group and POWOV,” he said. The deputy governor said he had changed his style and now used his brain instead of resorting to violence. “I don’t move people to the street anymore. “They said I will soon go to the street, but I didn’t go. “I use my brain, and I have been winning,” he said. Earlier, the officiating priest of the church, Rev. Fr. Charles Omogiate, cautioned against killings in the name of seeking for positions. Position, he said, would come and go but human beings would remain. “If you take lives and property because you want position, know that you are on the part of destruction because God gives lives and only He has the power to take lives,” the cleric said.

FCTA Warns Shop Owners Against Using Social Devt Secretariat As Drinking Joint   

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned against the use of the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture complex in Garki, Abuja, as a drinking joint by shop owners. Mr Ibrahim Masari, the Mandate Secretary, Social Development Secretariat, FCTA, gave the warning during an emergency meeting with business operators and shop owners at the secretariat in Abuja. Masari, thereafter, designated 7:30pm as the daily closing hour for all business and shop owners operating within the complex due to security concerns. He expressed dismay at the level of lawlessness that transpired within the secretariat when he paid an unscheduled visit to the complex around 7.10 pm on October 29. He explained that the visit was to affirm the veracity of the information at his disposal about the heinous acts that happens at the complex late hours of the night. “To my dismay, I discovered more than 500 persons within the complex at such late hours, enjoying themselves with alcoholic drinks and smoking indiscriminately. “I was not aware of what the event or activity was all about, as there was no official communication whatsoever to that effect. “After waiting patiently till about 8.30 p.m. with no signs of them exiting soon, I invited some of the private security guards on duty who accompanied me to disperse the gathering. “This is very disturbing. “Management will no longer condone a situation whereby non-staff and tenants in the secretariat will stay back after official closing hours to as late as 9 pm,” he said. The mandate scribe said that the 7.30 pm closing hour would take effect from Thursday, advising members of the public to take note to avoid embarrassment from security personnel. He stressed that the civil service rule forbids the sale of alcohol or any other intoxicating substances within working premises. He added that an internal mechanism has been activated to sanction business owners who encouraged such lawlessness and disregard to the extant rules. “Business owners and members of the public who transact businesses in the complex after 7.30pm will have themselves to blame, if caught flouting this directive. “Our private security guards have been duly advised accordingly,” he said. He explained that the decision was imperative taking into consideration the security of lives as well as government properties. 

November Polls: INEC Cautions Political Parties Against Peddling Fake News

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned political parties against spreading fake news, ahead of the November 11 Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo governorship elections. Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman stated this in a statement in Abuja.Oyekanmi was reacting to a statement by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that INEC was configuring Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines at the Government House, Lokoja, with the intention of manipulating the state governorship election.“The attention of INEC has been drawn to a statement signed by ID Ijele, the Director of New Media of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of the governorship campaign team.“The statement alleged that three staff of INEC are right now maliciously reconfiguring the BVAS machines in the Government House, Lokoja, with the intention of manipulating the Nov.11 governorship election in a part of the state in favour of a candidate. “The story is untrue. The three persons mentioned are not associated with the configuration of the BVAS machines and not even in Kogi at the moment. “Nicholas Ocholi is on his duty post in our Ondo State office in Akure.“Ibrahim Egbunu is attending to a very close family member hospitalised in Abuja, Mohammed Adara retired last year and is no longer a staff of the commission,” Oyekanmi said.He said that the configuration of BVAS was done simultaneously and exclusively in INEC offices in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi by teams deployed from the national headquarters, Abuja. “The public is advised to disregard the story as fake news. “At the same time, the commission appeals to political parties to desist from engaging in malicious rumour mongering of this nature,“ Oyekanmi said. 

Avoid Driving Through Flood Water, FEMA Cautions FCT Residents

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has warned residents against going through flood water to prevent avoidable death. Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Director, Forecasting Response and Mitigation, FEMA, gave the warning on Sunday in Abuja. Wenegieme, while reacting to the demise of a 31-year-old motorcyclist from flooding in Abuja on Friday, appealed to residents to listen to FEMA’s warnings to save their lives from untimely and preventable death. The deceased, identified as Yakubu Lucky, after a heavy downpour on Friday, defied warnings from the local divers stationed at Dogon Gada in Lokogoma District of the FCT by FEMA, and drove into a pool of water and drowned. She said that the sad incident was avoidable; stressing that FEMA barricaded the road to stop people from going in and out of the community whenever the road was flooded. “We have our local divers and vanguards stationed there to stop people. “We have also mounted billboards at that particular location and other vulnerable areas, warning residents not to drive or walk in running water. “But people pay deaf ears to our warnings; resulting in preventable deaths. “In Lucky’s case, because he was on a motorcycle and assumed he knew the road very well; he navigated through the barricade and into the pool of flooding water, leading to his untimely death.” The director said that FEMA had been carrying out massive sensitisation campaigns throughout the year to enlighten residents on how to stay safe during flooding and other emergencies. She expressed concern that despite several awareness campaigns in communities, some residents still ignored FEMA’s warnings against going through flood water. “We will continue to sensitise residents against any action that will risk their lives during disaster or any kind of emergency. “But while we do our part; we are appealing to the residents to cooperate with us; heed to our advice and warnings to keep them safe. “Our trained local divers, volunteers, vanguards and emergency marshalls are in every community to ensure time response to emergency situations. “They are also in the communities to advise and caution residents during emergencies. “Please listen to them and do what they asked you to do to keep everyone safe,” she said. 

Increasing global protectionism could heighten economic shocks –IMF

The International Monetary fund has warned increasing protectionism could further heighten global economic shocks. A new report in its IMFBlog titled: “The High Cost of Economic Fragmentation”, the Fund said greater international trade restrictions could reduce global economic output by 7 per cent.    According to the Bretton Woods Institute, greater protectionism could lead to fragmentation, and even split nations into rival blocs just as fresh shocks expose the global economy’s fragility. “While estimates of the cost of fragmentation vary, greater international trade restrictions could reduce global economic output by as much as 7 percent over the long term, or about $7.4 trillion in today’s dollars. That’s equivalent to the combined size of the French and German economies, and three times sub-Saharan Africa’s annual output,” the Fund said. Calling for more deliberate global cooperation, the global lender noted that international institutions can play a vital role, bringing countries together to help solve global challenges. The Fund noted that signs of cooperation are faltering as new trade barriers are introduced annually hitting almost 3,000 in 2022. IMF research has shown that geopolitical alignments increasingly influence both foreign direct investment and portfolio flows. “Other forms of fragmentation—like technological decoupling, disrupted capital flows, and migration restrictions—will also raise costs. In addition, global flows of goods and capital have leveled off since the global financial crisis. “The IMF continues to underscore that the international community, supported by global institutions such as ours, should pursue targeted progress where common ground exists and maintain collaboration in areas where inaction would be devastating. “Policymakers need to focus on the issues that matter most not only to the wealth of nations but also to the economic well-being of ordinary people. They must nurture the bonds of trust among countries wherever possible so they can quickly step up cooperation when the next major shock comes,” Kristalina Georgieva, IMF President said.

Regularise your tax positions or face sanctions, FIRS warns shippers

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has mandated all shipping companies operating in Nigeria’s territorial waters to regularize their outstanding tax return before 31st December 2023. The service disclosed this in a public statement made available to the public and signed by its Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami. FIRS noted the order is the sequel to two previous seculars of June and December 2021 wherein it provided the basis of taxation of international shipping lines and also called on them to regularize their tax affairs with the service within three months. The circular also stated that the FIRS had observed that many international shipping lines operating in the country had not been complying with the nation’s extant tax laws. “The circular provides the basis of taxation for all international shipping lines in Nigeria and the public notice requested all international shipping lines to regularise their tax affairs with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) within three months of the date of that publication” “Consequently, the Service hereby requests all international shipping companies operating in Nigerian territorial waters in whatever capacity (containerized, bulk cargo, fishing trawlers, crude oil and natural gas lifting vessels, dredging, survey, floating, production, storage, and offloading, etc.) to immediately regularise their tax positions.” The service noted that it is collaborating with relevant security agencies to prosecute defaulting shipping agencies after December 2023. The statement reads, “The Service is collaborating with relevant government regulatory and security agencies in the maritime sector to commence enforcement action on defaulting shipping companies after the expiration of the grace period of December 31, 2023”