Buhari Should Wake Up To His Responsibilities, says Sultan of Sokoto Led-Group

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll, has asked the President Muhammadu administration to wake up to its statutory responsibility of protecting lives and property of Nigerians across the country.

The wake-up call, according to the group, became imperative following the killings by suspected herdsmen.

The National Publicity Secretary of the JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu, stated this in a statement in Kaduna on Monday.

The religious body condemned the attack of villagers in the Bassa LGA, Plateau State, which left several people dead and over 150 houses destroyed.

It cautioned security operatives against taking sides with any warring party in Plateau State and other parts of the country.

The JNI also called on the authorities not to spare anyone culpable in the sundry attacks, adding that the attackers should be fished out and made to face the wrath of the law.

The statement read in part, “The Jama’atu Nasril Islam received with grave concern, the news of premeditated killings of innocent persons and destruction of properties worth millions in the Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, as well as Rukuba Chiefdom in the same Bassa LGA.

“Attacks and counter-attacks were carried out repeatedly and reports reaching us state that over 150 houses were razed while animals were not spared.

“The JNI condemns in the strong terms the heinous attacks in their totality.

“We nonetheless, expect the Plateau State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria through their respective relevant agencies to wake up to their respective responsibilities of protecting lives and property.”

The JNI called on the citizens to eschew bitterness and live peacefully with one another.

“We also call on government to provide relief materials to all affected victims as they are now in utmost need for such.

“Similarly, the need for an all encompassing surveillance in flash points on the Plateau cannot be overemphasised to avoid a recurrence of the incident."

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Senate Throws Out Bill Proposing Skirts For NYSC Female Members

A bill that would have allowed female members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to wear skirt has been rejected by the Senate. 

This followed the presentation of the lead debate on the general principles of the bill which was sponsored by Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP-Taraba) during plenary.

According to him, the bill is intended to amend Sections 13 and 16 of the Principal Act.

He said the bill sought to ensure that regulations made by the NYSC Directorate prescribing uniforms and exercise regimen did not violate the religious practices and beliefs of corps members.

He said the objective of the bill was to also increase the penalty for the offences contained in the Act, to make such fines reflect the present value of the naira.

Bwacha, who is Deputy Minority Leader, noted that the NYSC was a laudable scheme established in 1973 by the then military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

“It was part of the effort by the Federal Government to rebuild, reconstruct and reconcile Nigerians following the unfortunate incidents of the civil war which ended in 1970.

“It is important to point out that while the scheme has lived up to expectation as a reliable platform for nurturing young patriotic Nigerians, fostering unity and promoting a better understanding of our religious and cultural differences, it has, however, become necessary to amend the Principal Act.

“This is with a view to address observed lapses and shortcomings. One of such lapses is that the penalty for offences contained in the Act is now outdated and in need of urgent review.

“Secondly, Section 16 of the Principal Act mandates the NYSC Directorate to make regulations or by-laws relating to discipline, exercise regimen, uniforms, welfare of corps etc.

“Uniforms and drills adopted by the Directorate have become a basis for tension and controversy between the Directorate and corps members and other members of the public.

“The major bone of contention is that some of the uniforms and drills contravene religious beliefs and practices of corps members and invariably their right to freedom of religion, thought and conscience under the Nigerian Constitution.

“This bill essentially addresses the above mentioned lapses in the Principal Act,” he said.

Contributing, Sen. Suleiman Adokwe (PDP-Nasarawa), said “the amendment being suggested is not even worth the trouble.

“This is because the powers to prescribe uniform is what the NYSC Act is to the Directorate.

“I believe if the directorate wants to change the uniform at any time, it is a matter of deciding because it only has power to prescribe the type of uniform.

“The type of uniform is even not prescribed; so I don’t know why we should trouble ourselves; all you need to do is to put pressure on the directorate to change the uniform but not necessarily to change the law.

“All the religious organisations that are feeling oppressed by it should put pressure and lobby the directorate to change its dress code,” Adokwe said.

Similarly, Sen. Sam Egwu (PDP-Ebonyi) said “we should not waste our time on an issue that we have no constitutional right to amend. That is a minute issue that we should not waste our energy on.”

Also, Sen. Jeremiah Husseini (PDP-Plateau) “there is no need for this bill”.

In his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the proceedings, said: “I am not trying to stop the bill; even if you pass the bill, you must send it to all the states in accordance with section 9(2).”

After a voice vote by Ekweremadu, the bill was rejected by the lawmakers.

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Female Fraudster: "I Became A Criminal After I Was Defrauded"

A 45-year-old mother of five, Ashile Basirat has confessed that she decided to join a criminal group after she became a victim of fraud.

Basirat who was paraded by Ogun State Police Command for allegedly conspiring with robbers to dupe passengers in Abeokuta said her children had advised her to stop the illicit business, but her venture into trade did not yield the desired profit, making her continue her illicit business.

Also paraded was a retired military officer, Ali Audu, arrested for impersonation and using military uniform to extort motorists, who said he did so “to keep body and soul together after his retirement.”

The Police Commissioner in the state, Ahmed Iliyasu, paraded Basira alongside Audu and 31 other suspects for various offences at the Eleweran Police headquarters in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

The Police boss said Basirat, a suspected member of a fraud syndicate, engaged in fooling unsuspecting passengers by hypnotising them, take them to the nearest Automated Teller Machine, ATM, point to dispose them of cash.

Ilyasu said the syndicate specialised in driving commercial taxi cab, pretending to be drivers and simulated passengers to dupe the unsuspecting members of the public.

Other members of the syndicate are Leonard Ifeanyi, Tajudeen Erinosho and Ashimiyu Olaniyan.

Explaining how her gang operated before they were apprehended, Basirat claimed that her gang members act as passengers in a taxi, pretending to be waiting for one more passenger.

She said when the victim is found, they would tell him or her that there was money in the booth, which could not be spent because it was spiritually locked.

She further explained that the victim would be persuaded to follow them to a priest and “he or she would be brought to me, while I pretend to be an Ifa priestess (Iya Alawo).”

She further disclosed that her victims are too numerous to count as she started the trade in 2011 after she was duped in 2010.

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