Month: April 2021

A sweedish military expert, Hugo Kaaman, has faulted Boko Haram Terrorists, BHT, propaganda video on missing Alpha Jet belonging to the Nigerian Air Force.

Kaaman, an independent open-source researcher, with focus on the use of Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices, SVBIEDs, by armed non-state actors – specifically ISIS.

Recall that the terrorists on Friday released a video showing how its fighters shot down the NAF fighter jet, which got off the radar since Wednesday evening.

Although NAF also dismissed the video as mere propaganda, Kamaan showed clear evidence that the insurgents had doctored the video.

NAF press statement over the video released by BHT partly read;

“Although the video is still being thoroughly analysed, it is evident that most parts of the video were deliberately doctored to give the false impression that the aircraft was shot down. For instance, the video clip failed to show the correlation between the sporadic shooting, which even from casual observation was obviously aimed at ground targets, and the sudden mid-air aircraft explosion. In addition, it is almost impossible for an aircraft to have exploded mid-air, in the manner depicted in the video, and still have a good part of its fuselage, including its tail, intact. Indeed, an explosive impact of that nature would have scattered the debris of the aircraft across several miles.

“It is obvious that the Boko Haram Sect, in its characteristic manner of employing false propaganda, is seeking to claim credit for what was obviously an air accident that could have been caused by several other reasons; particularly at a time when the capability of the group to inflict mayhem has been significantly degraded by the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” the NAF spokesman said.

Below is what the expert said and the video he tweeted;

“Boko Haram just released a video claiming it shows a NAF jet shot down by the group. Looking at the video, it appears as if the jet explodes mid-air. However, this is not true. BH took a 2012 video showing a SyAAF helicopter exploding mid-air over Idlib and superimposed it. Weak,” he tweeted.

Ill-fated NAF Jet: Sweedish Military Expert, @HKaaman Faults Video Released by Boko Haram

Don Jazzy
D' banj pic.twitter.com/0T6i7r1eEy

— Vreporters (@Vreporters1) April 3, 2021

Just to be clear, the jet really crashed. It's unclear whether this was due to hostile fire or technical issues. The wreckage can be seen in the same Boko Haram video. This video merely highlights Boko Haram's fake footage of the shootdown itself

— Hugo Kaaman (@HKaaman) April 3, 2021

For example, see this: https://t.co/PIXVafu45p

— Hugo Kaaman (@HKaaman) April 3, 2021

YORUBA leaders have condemned a purported plan to arrest Yoruba activist, Mr Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, through an invitation letter dispatched to him from Abuja by the Inspector General of Police.

Adeyemo had said he neither accepted the letter, which was sent to him on Thursday via a courier service and a copy of the letter meant to be delivered by about 15 police officers, nor honoured the invitation.

An online newspaper quoted Igboho as explaining in a statement by his media aide, Olayomi Koiki, that he did not receive the letter for safety reasons, citing the death of foremost journalist, Dele Giwa, via a mail bomb explosion in 1986.

Two foremost Yoruba groups, Afenifere and the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), took exception to the action of the IGP which they described as abnormal and unjustifiable. While Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, described the letter as showing that Nigeria is under civilian dictatorship, the Secretary General of the YCE, Dr Kunle Olajide, wondered why leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) who he said had repeatedly insulted law and decency have not been so invited by the Inspector Genral of Police.

Adebanjo, in a telephone interview on Friday, also recalled it was a similar incident that led to the death of Giwa who received a letter without knowing it contained a bomb. He explained that Igboho’s refusal to accept the invitation letter was understandable as this is a perilous time.

Pa Adebanjo said: “The action shows that Nigeria is under civilian dictatorship under Buhari. “What is the letter for? That was how they sent a letter with a bomb to Dele Giwa.

“We are not in a normal situation at all. This is a time where people die without any traces. So, there is the need for people to be careful.”

He advised Igboho to be vigilant, stating that he had the right to pursue what is right in a democratic setting.

The YCE scribe, Dr Olajide, in an interview with Saturday Tribune on Friday, Olajide said: “The Miyetti Allah has spoken on television and in newspapers making more inciting and terrorising statements in the last one year and none of its leaders was invited. So, for me, I do not see any justification for inviting Sunday Igboho.

“We still have the fundamental human right to freedom of expression as long as you don’t incite people or cause any chaos or breach of the peace. For me, Miyetti Allah, that is, the MACBAN, ought to have been invited not less than a hundred times.

“They have issued statements which they have not denied. They have inserted the names of the authors of the statements. I have watched them on television insulting constituted authorities like Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on more than one occasion, and nobody has invited them. “This is about the only country I know where government gives sympathy or support to bandits. The dictionary meaning of bandits, to me, is criminals. And if somebody claims to know where they are and goes there to meet them, then he is a suspect for interrogation.

“If the letter is truly from the IGP, then for me, that is unfair. I don’t think the IGP will want to invite somebody to travel hundreds of kilometers when there are police formations, AIGs in zones, CPs, ACPs and area commanders. We also have the SSS and so on in every state, even in local governments. No, I do not support and I do not agree with that.”

When contacted for confirmation of the story, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olugbenga Fadeyi, said that the state Police Command had nothing to do with the letter of invitation from the Nigeria Police Force.

The PPRO said that information reaching the state command had it that the invitation was from the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja, which, it was learnt, was rejected by Igboho.

Tribune Online

By Daily Nigerian

Barely a year after his installation, the emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero is enmeshed in financial scandal involving the sale of 22 hectares of land to the tune of N1,295,000,000.

DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, PCACC, is investigating the monarch alongside his top aides for allegedly diverting parts of the money to personal use.

The chairman of the commission, Muhuyi Magaji, on Friday confirmed the probe to DAILY NIGERIAN, saying the commission would not spare anybody found culpable.

The agency had investigated the immediate-past emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over a similar issue and its report was used by the state government to remove the emir.

DAILY NIGERIAN gathered reliably that the land in question had been under the care of the anti-graft commission pending the conclusion of investigation, which started during the reign of the former emir.

With a new government-friendly emir on the throne, the emirate council, through a trust fund named Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund wrote to the commission seeking permission to use a portion of the land for temporary developments in order to avoid encroachment of the land.

The purposes for which the emirate sought permission include recreational facilities, refuse dumping site as well as an area specifically designated to accommodate 3,000 horses during Sallah festivities.

DAILY NIGERIAN learnt that after the commission granted the emirate council approval through the land authority, the emir allegedly ordered that the land be divided into two, claiming that some part of the land measuring 8 hectares belongs to his family (Ado Bayero Estate) while the remaining 14 hectares belong to the Emirate Council.

Documents sighted by DAILY NIGERIAN showed that a portion of the land claimed by Ado Bayero Estate was sold off at N575million, while the second portion belonging to the Emirate Council was allegedly sold at over N700 million.

Insiders at the commission said top officials of emirate connived with the buyer to deposit N200million into the account of the council, while the remaining proceeds, amounting to over N500million, was allegedly shared as a kickback.

“You can’t sell 8 hectares of land at N575million and then claim that the other half which is 14 hectares is sold at N200million. It is illogical,” said a source familiar with the investigation.

DAILY NIGERIAN further learnt that the land in question entirely belongs to the Emirate Council but the family of the late monarch, led by the current emir, is claiming ownership of the part of it without providing proof.

Meanwhile the purchaser of property has dragged the commission to court for “disturbing his peaceful possession in the property”.

Among the documents pleaded as exhibit is a letter from the Emirate Council conveying the approval of the council for the sale of the land at the cost of N200million and another document appeared to be an acknowledgment of the receipt of $416,600 cash by one Awaisu Abbas Sanusi as a commitment “before the completion of the agreement”.

Investigators argued that the two documents before the court are clear proof of a case of money laundering.

A source at the emirate told DAILY NIGERIAN that the emir on Thursday received a letter from the commission, seeking explanation within seven days on the emirate council’s resolution approving the sale of the land; valuation certificate suggesting the price to be sold and; total amount received for and on behalf of the emirate council from the prospective buyers.

Other documents requested from the emir are survey report demarcating the two portions of land, including the title document relied upon by the Emirate Council for the transfer of eight hectares to the late emir’s family as well as date of the transfer.

Authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University ile-ife have revealed why some set of students earlier directed to resume physically for the practical contents of what they have learnt online are asked to vacate the campus upon the completion of their various tasks.

The public relations officer of the institution, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju in a statement sent to newsmen on Friday directed the first group of students who resumed on March 8th for the practical part of their selected courses to vacate the campus after 26th of March, 2021 in their own interest.

However, the development was greeted with reactions among the students particularly those staying in the school’s halls of residence stating that they can’t afford to start moving back their loads to off campus again due to their fast approaching examination.

Abiodun while reacting to the students yearnings in a chat with DAILY GIST reporter noted that the directive was for students’ safety on campus which was hinged on adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

He stressed that the management is preventing any form of congestion in hostels and any other students’ joints on campus. He noted that OAU is a public and federal government owned institution and therefore must comply with the guidelines released by the government on safe reopening.

Abiodun reiterated that the management is trying all its best to avoid a situation where the federal government will use OAU as a scape goat adding that, government officials in the education ministry could visit the school any time to monitor the compliance of students and staffs on COVID-19 guidelines.

On whether the semester examination mode of conduct would be physical or online. The school’s registrar, Mrs M. Omosule confidently confirmed the mode of the examination to DAILY GIST stating that, it’s going to be physical. She however noted that the mode of conduct for elective courses is not certain yet. She hinted that it could be physical or online.

There is confusion among SMEs and customers in Nigeria following inability to recharge MTN lines with airtime and data via banks.

In a recent policy flip, the South African firm did not only compel SMEs, who aggregate data and airtime sales, to push only MTN platforms, it also cut down commissions on sales.

In a letter to its partners, titled NOTIFICATION OF REVISED DISCOUNT STRUCTURE, made available to Vanguard, the telecommunication giant explained the reduction in discount with effect from 1st of April.

A source said in spite of inconvenience to millions of Nigerian, MTN told its partners to “pacify customers and educate them to use MTNToplt, MoMo channels, as well as the debit card options on MOD or myMTN App.”

The fresh move is coming just after its hiking of transfer charges on USSD and a year after the Nigerian government pardoned it over $2 billion dodged taxes.

An MTN user said the signal he gets each time he tries to recharge his phone on one of the banks’ app was “Unavailale”.

An SMS sent to users of the network reads: “Dear customers, our bank recharge channels are currently unavailable, kindly recharge using physical cards. We apologise for the inconvenience. Thank you.”

Another, a web master, who tried to buy data, said Airtel’s platform kept popping up.

Stakeholders fear that the recent moves by MTN will ruin SMEs in the country, given the previous policies that are making it difficult for business owners to break even.

One said MTN had long sought to monopolise the telco space, almost paralysed Nigeria’s nascent renewable energy sector with its battery product.

“Meanwhile, even South Africans don’t seem to trust MTN; for example, at the end of 2019, MTN’s revenue grew by 12.6 per cent in Nigeria and 22.9% in Ghana, but in South Africa, revenue only grew by 0.4%,” some stakeholders noted.

“The biggest casualties of MTN’s aggressive exploitation of Nigeria are not just the SMEs who are seeing their commissions constantly cut down till they die out of business; ordinary Nigerians bear the biggest brunt, without even knowing it.

“Nigeria has among the most expensive mobile data prices in the world, more than 10 times what Indians pay.

“Telcos like MTN take advantage of their massive size to keep the price of data high so that they can keep extracting money from unsuspecting citizens and a hapless country, all the while repatriating all the money to South Africa and not paying their fair share in taxes.

“It is yet to be known if for once, the Nigerian government and even big private institutions will stand up and stay strong to this drowning of Nigerian SMEs and daylight robbery of the country,” a statement noted.

Vanguard

Boko Haram militant group has claimed it shot down a Nigerian fighter jet that went missing earlier this week and which the air force said may have crashed, according to a militant video released on Friday.

The Alpha light attack jet was on a mission to support troops fighting militants in northeastern Borno state when it lost radar contact on Wednesday, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said.

Nigeria’s military have been battling jihadists in the northeast of the country for more than a decade and have recently been fighting them in their stronghold in Sambisa forest in Borno state.

The video, which could not be verified by AFP, was released on a Boko Haram social media channel showing a militant standing on what the group claims is the wreckage of the jet. It shows the Nigerian flag and number NAF 475 on its fuselage.

“Nigeria air force jet fighter… was sent to Sambisa to fight the Mujahideen,” the militant said.

The air force said on Friday that the jet may have crashed. It said the cause of the crash and the whereabouts of the two crew onboard were unknown.

“Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing by NAF surveillance aircraft as well as NAF Special Forces and Nigerian Army troops on ground,” its statement said.

“At this point, the NAF is not ruling out anything regarding the incident. It however remains hopeful that the crew would soon be found and rescued.”

It did not respond immediately to a request for an update on the search.

In 2014, Boko Haram said it shot down another Nigerian air force jet and showed a video claiming to have beheaded its pilot.

Since the Islamist insurgency broke out in 2009, the conflict has killed around 36,000 people in the region and displaced some two million from their homes.

The violence has also spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) split from Boko Haram in 2016 and has since become a prominent threat, attacking soldiers and bases while killing and kidnapping civilians.

At the start of the year, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed new military commanders after coming under pressure to better tackle insecurity and inject new life into the armed forces.

Watch the footage released by Boko Haram Below

https://twitter.com/Vreporters1/status/1378050610981928964?s=19

AFP

The Federal Government has again extended the deadline for linking Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) with valid National Identity Numbers (NIN) by one month.

This was contained in a statement by spokesperson of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Kayode Adegoke.

He informed the deadline was extended from April 6, 2021 to May 6, 2021 after participants at the meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on NIN-SIM data linkage agreed to have an extension of the process.

The statement reads: “The meeting took place on Thursday, April 1, 2021 and approval was given to extend the period of the NIN-SIM linkage to the 6th of May, 2021.

“The request for the extension was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari and he endorsed it.”

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, chaired the meeting.

The statement also stated based on the updates of the NIN registration process, over 51 million people had been assigned NINs.

“There are many people who have enrolled and are in the process of being assigned NINs,” it stated.

The statement added: “With each individual having an average of three to four SIMs, the total number of SIMs tied to NINs would close to the total number of registered SIMs in the country.’’

It said the current number of monthly enrollments had increased significantly to about 2.6 million registrations.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Thursday has condemned and promised to investigate the alleged assault of a 22-year security guard by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Yakubu Umar in Abuja.

NBA disclosed this in a statement by the publicity secretary of the association, Dr Rapulu Nduka late Thursday said that the CCT chairman, as a member of the legal profession is expected, by the extant rules that regulate the conduct of legal practitioners in Nigeria, to maintain a high standard of professional conduct, and not to engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a member of the legal profession.

According to the statement, “The attention of the NBA has been drawn to the video making the rounds where the chairman of the CCT, Danladi Yakubu Umar Esq., was seen, together with his security detail, allegedly assaulting a citizen at Banex Plaza, in Wuse Abuja.

“We understand that this citizen turned out to be a 22-year-old employee of Jul Reliable Guards Services Limited, posted as a security guard to the plaza and who is now reportedly hospitalised.

“The NBA has also read the statement credited to the Head, Press and Public Relations of the CCT in response to the actions of Umar.”

The NBA spokesman stated that the association frowns on any display of naked power by a public officer especially one who, by virtue of his high office, is expected to exhibit a high standard of conduct.

“The situation is all the more critical when it involves the head of an agency of government set up to ensure compliance, by public officers, with the code of conduct.

“Prima facie evidence available at the moment raise questions regarding whether such standards have been met,” he said and added that the association shall, through its relevant committee, investigate the circumstances leading to the altercation.

With the outcome of the investigation, the NBA said it will ensure that appropriate action is taken to address this occurrence.