Nedu Echianu's Blog

US comedian Bill Cosby was freed from prison on Wednesday, in a blow to the #MeToo movement, after a US court overturned his conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman 15 years ago. The 83-year-old left SCI Phoenix, a state jail 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia, after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Cosby had been denied a fair trial. Cosby, who shattered racial barriers with his Emmy-winning role on “I Spy” in the 1960s, was convicted in 2018 of assaulting Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia mansion in 2004. But the judges wrote in a 79-page decision that a non-prosecution agreement between a former district attorney and Cosby over evidence he gave in a civil case meant the actor should not have been charged. “Cosby’s convictions and judgment of sentence are vacated, and he is discharged,” they wrote. Cosby, who also starred as a dad and doctor on the hit TV series “The Cosby Show,” in the 1980s, left prison just before 2:30 pm

Manchester United have agreed a fee in principle with Borussia Dortmund for England winger Jadon Sancho. It is understood United will pay Dortmund £73m for the 21-year-old, who joined them from Manchester City in 2017. Personal terms are yet to be finalised and a medical completed but neither are expected to present a problem. The news will be welcomed by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who wants to build on United’s progress last season. They finished runners-up to Premier League champions Manchester City and reached the Europa League final, losing to Villarreal. The United boss has identified four key positions he wants to improve: right side of his midfield, then the central defensive, midfield and attacking areas. The news brings to an end a long chase for the Londoner, who shone in Watford’s academy. United expected to sign him last summer but could not agree a fee. He is set to become the second-most expensive English footballer of all time behind Harry Maguire,

Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM),  on. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has  condemned the alleged killing of a Nigerian footballer, Kelvin Igweani, by the UK police.   Dabiri-Erewa made the condemnation in a statement issued by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NIDCOM, in Abuja on Wednesday.   Igweani, who was believed to be a Nigerian footballer was shot dead by officers, who attended to a call at a house where a child was found with serious injuries.   She described the incident as very unfortunate, and sad.   Dabiri-Erewa called on the UK government to conduct a thorough and proper investigation  on the incident. She condoled with the family of the deceased and the Nigerian community in the UK and prayed to God to rest the soul of the departed. In a statement by the Thames Valley Police, officers were called to a property at Two Mile Ash North-West Milton Keynes on June 26, and made a forced entry after acting on infor

The Senate on Wednesday passed the Firearms Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2021 raising the fine for illegal importation and sale of firearms from N1,000 to N1 million. The Bill was passed after it considered the report of its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. Presenting the report, Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Michael Bamidele, said “the fine was pegged at N1,000 in the extant Act which was not punitive enough to deter illegal importation and sale of firearms.’’ Section 35 of the Bill was also amended to impose a fine of N3 million or imprisonment for three years or both on anyone who failed to surrender illegal firearms to relevant authorities whenever so directed. “Clause 39 of the Bill, which deals with power to seize and destroy confiscated illegal firearms, was amended to provide for inclusion of other law enforcement agencies besides the Police and the military. “This is necessary because the power to confiscate or seize illegal firearms should be

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has urged caution and strict adherence to the rule of law in the trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the federal government. The Senator in a statement released by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom in Abuja on Wednesday, also advised the federal government to be guided by the provisions of Section 31 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights as it detains and re-arraigns Mazi Kanu in court for the continuation of his trial. The relevant section and charter he said presupposes that the detainee should be humanely treated while in the custody of the state. "What it means is that it is the duty of the government in this instance to protect him and ensure the respect of his fundamental human rights while his trial lasts. For now, it is trite law, that he is presumed innocent until proven guilty", Abaribe said. However, the Minorit

***Rejects the Nomination of Onochie as INEC National Commissioner  The National Executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have joined the league of those kicking against the  nomination of Special Assistant on new media to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie,  as one of the  National Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with a protest to the National Assembly on Wednesday. This is even as the party vowed to use provisions of the law to retrieve seats of Federal lawmakers who defected from the party. Led by its National Chairman, Uche Secondus, the PDP executives and supporters stormed the MOPOL Gate of the National Assembly at about 12:30pm to kick against Onochie's nomination. The party in a letter addressed to the Chairman, Senate Commitee on INEC and signed by its National Secretary, Senator Umaru Ibrahim Tsauri, said Onochie being a card carrying member of a political party (APC), is not qualified for such appointment

Reports say there are indications that Mrs Evelyn Joshua, the wife of the late founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Temitope Joshua, will replace him as General Overseer of the church. Evelyn and Joshua were married for 31 years and had three children together until his death on June 5 at the age of 57. France-based  AfricaNews  reports that elders of the church met and declared Evelyn the successor to the late televangelist. A top aide of the late cleric was quoted as saying, “Someone must take charge immediately and give spiritual direction on the mode of service continuity. So much spiritual and financial effort went into building SCOAN and it cannot just waste away (sic).” Evelyn, who met TB Joshua over 30 years ago, was said to have been serving as the second-in-command to her husband before his death earlier this month, performing the role of a preacher and offering counselling to church members. The church had earlier said Joshua would be buried at th

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, the Kaduna-based Islamic scholar, has denied being invited, arrested or quizzed by the Department of State Services, DSS. The Sheikh was reported to have been with the DSS for questioning over remarks he allegedly made against the military in an interview with Arise TV. Speaking to Vanguard newspaper, Sheikh Gumi said his interventions with bandits inside forests were done in collaboration with the government and security agencies. Therefore, Gumi said, he did not commit any offence. His words: “Nobody invited me for questioning or any arrest. I can say that categorically. “Since I ventured into the forest, I went there with full security— the Police, with the knowledge of the DSS, traditional rulers and the Fulani leaders. I never went alone. “I never made any disparaging remarks against the military during my recent live interview on national television. “There was nowhere in the TV interview that I categorically accused the entire military.”

The Presidency says the medical follow-up visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to United Kingdom earlier scheduled for June 25, has been postponed. Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja on Friday According to the presidential aide, a new date will be announced in due course. The president was last on medical trip to London in March. 

President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abuja welcomed Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi to the All Progressives Congress (APC), after he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying “you are welcome to the progressives family.’’ Sen. Nwaoboshi, representing Delta North District, Delta State, was presented to President Buhari and National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) at the State House by Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege. The Deputy Senate President said Senator Nwaoboshi’s decision to join the APC clearly shows that the effort of the CECPC was yielding fruit. Nwaoboshi was recently acquited on money laundry charges by a Federal High Court in Lagos. He was also recently suspended by the People's Democratic Party in Delta state for alleged anti party activities following his open criticism of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the Federal Government is not the sponsor of the bills purportedly meant to stifle the press. The minister stated this on Friday in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) He said the bills concerning the Nigerian Press Council and the National Broadcasting Commission were private member bills sponsored by a lawmaker in the National Assembly, “First, let me say how disappointed I am that those who have been berating me on these bills have been doing so on a false premise that the Federal Government had sponsored bills to stifle the press. ”This is a classic case of misinformation because the Federal Government did not sponsor any bill to gag the press. “It baffles me that those who rushed to the media to slam the government didn’t even try to verify the facts,’’ he said The mnister clarified that the National Assembly member who sponsored the bills had done nothing wrong. He said the legi

President Muhammadu Buhari will proceed to London on Friday for what his office described as a ‘scheduled medical follow-up.’ The Nigerian leader and members of his family routinely travel to the UK for medical treatment amidst the insufficient and poorly equipped hospitals in the oil-rich country. Despite public criticisms of his previous trips, including one at a period doctors in Nigeria were on strike, the Nigerian leader, who has spent six years in office, appears unperturbed by what critics have described as medical tourism. Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesman, confirmed the latest trip in a statement in Abuja on Thursday. “He is due back in the country during the second week of July, 2021,’’ the presidential aide stated; indicating the Nigerian leader will spend about two weeks in London for the medical attention. The president returned from his last medical trip to London in April. He had travelled on March 30 and returned to the country two weeks later.

A student of the University of Lagos on Thursday told journalists how she fatally stabbed the chief executive officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, at an apartment in Lekki, Lagos. Chidinma Ojukwu, 21, a 300-level Mass Communication student, while being paraded by the police at the state command in Ikeja said she began a romantic relationship with Mr Ataga four months ago. The police in a statement said Ms Ojukwu, on June 15 at about 5 p.m., allegedly murdered Mr Ataga, 50, by stabbing him several times with a sharp object. According to the police, the suspect had booked the apartment two days earlier and left the scene of the alleged murder at about 5.30 p.m. The police said the suspect was arrested on Wednesday night at her home in Alagomeji, Yaba. “During search, the prime suspect was caught with a blood-soaked cloth, ostensibly worn on the day of the incident,” the police statement read. “The suspect confessed to have stabbed the deceased with a kitchen knife after a

The away goals rule in European club football is to be abolished from the start of next season, governing body Uefa has confirmed. The rule, used since 1965, decided drawn two-legged games by favouring the team that scored the most away goals. All ties level on aggregate at the end of the second leg will instead go to extra time and potentially penalties. "It is no longer appropriate for an away goal to carry more weight," said Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin. Uefa's club competitions committee made the proposal in May and it has now been approved by the body's executive committee. It means games in the Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League and Women's Champions League will no longer use the rule. Uefa says there is now a smaller gap between the number of home and away wins as well as home and away goals scored in European competitions compared to when the rule was introduced, reducing home advantage. It says that is down t

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC Rev. Yakubu Pam has said that the Commission would commence its pilgrimage exercise to Jordan in July 2021. He disclosed this Thursday while playing host to the Executive Members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council at the NCPC Corporate headquarters, Abuja. Rev. Yakubu hinted that every arrangement is being put in place to ensure a successful pilgrimage outing to Jordan in July. He also explained that every approval needed to commence the pilgrimage exercise to Jordan has been received by the Commission.

The Senate has condemned the shooting incident by a Police Inspector in Enugu capital city leading to the death of five persons and injuring of several others on Sunday. It also condemned the alleged killing of a Germany-based Nigerian, Mr. Oguchi Unachukwu, near Owerri Airport in Imo State. The resolution was sequel to a motion on the “Need to Investigate Fatal Shootings by Security Agents in Enugu and Imo State” sponsored by former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, at Wednesday's plenary. Moving the motion under Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rule, the lawmaker, who represents Enugu West Senatorial District, said the Senate: “Notes with sadness the Sunday, June 20, 2021 shooting incident in Enugu in which an Inspector of Police attached to Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 9, Umuahia, Abia State, opened fire on the people on sight, shooting five persons dead and injured several others; “Aware that the said policeman has reportedly been arrested by

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Major General Faruk Yahaya as the Chief of Army Staff. His confirmation followed the consideration of a report by the Joint Committee of Defence and Army. Faruk was appointed on May 27, 2021, by President Muhammadu Buhari following the death of the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, in a plane crash which occurred in Kaduna on May 21, 2021. Before his appointment, Yahaya was the General Officer Commanding Division 1 of the Nigerian Army and Theatre Commander of the Counter Terrorism, Counter Insurgency military outfit in the North East code named Operation HADIN KAI. Chairman of the Joint Committee, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (APC, Sokoto North), in his presentation said the Committee was  satisfied with the comprehensive and robust nature of the engagement and interactions with the nominee during the screening exercise.  According to the lawmaker, Faruk’s nomination was in line with section 217 (

An FCT High Court on Tuesday sentenced Farouk Lawal to seven years imprisonment for collecting 500,000 dollars bribe. Delivering judgment, Justice Angela Otaluka, the trial judge, ordered Lawan to restitute the 500, 000 dollars. Lawan chaired the House of Representative ad hoc committee that investigated the fraud around the oil subsidy regime in 2012. Justice Otaluka found Lawan guilty on the three-count charge brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against him. ” I am convinced and I hold that the prosecution in count one have proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant while acting in the course of his official duty corruptly demanded the sum of three million dollars from Femi Otedola in his intention to show favour by removing the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas from the report of the House of Representatives adhoc committee on monitoring of fuel subsidy regime. ”Secondly, I am strongly convinced and hol

Whilst going through the news feed of my social platforms on Friday evening, an analysis written by a Senate Correspondent of an online platform, Premium Times, on the performance of the Ninth Senate under the leadership of Senator Ahmad Lawan caught my attention.  It reads: “In two years, Lawan’s Senate records more failures than successes”. Though I felt a sense of outright disagreement with the caption of the report which I perceived as strongly biased, I nevertheless decided to read its contents for very obvious reasons.  1.    To determine the rationale behind the writer’s position; 2.    To examine the strength of arguments in reaching what I perceived to be a rather misleading conclusion; 3.    To establish and understand the parameters used in coming to such erroneous judgement; and 4.    To understand the reporter’s level of competency and professionalism  As one who has covered the proceedings of the upper chamber in the last 10 years under the strict supervision

Chief Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United Football Club, Port Harcourt, on Friday confirmed that the Head Coach of the club, Stanley Eguma, has been released by his abductors. Eguma was allegedly kidnapped along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway at about 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, while returning from Gombe to Port Harcourt, after a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) game. Kpalukwu confirmed the release of Eguma in a post on the club’s WhatsApp platform. “We are grateful to God for His mercy. Our Technical Manager, Stanley Eguma, has been released by his abductors. Our God is gracious,” he posted. Details of Eguma’s release from his abductors were not disclosed in the post. The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, Mr Mohammed Aliyu, had earlier ordered the immediate rescue of Eguma from his abductors. NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the military and other security agencies not to give breathing space to terrorists and criminals operating in various parts of the country. The president gave the charge when he visited personnel of the Armed Forces and security agencies of Operation Hadin Kai at the Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno state, on Thursday. Buhari spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu. Buhari said the war must be concluded with restoration of peace and reconstruction of all the affected areas. According to the president, the nation owes a debt of gratitude to military men and women and security agencies currently tackling security challenges in the country, particularly those who paid the supreme price. “I am delighted to be with you this afternoon to address you on this special occasion of my official visit to Borno State. “I want to seize this opportunity to put it on record that our nation will forever

The Police Command in Kebbi state has confirmed the abduction of some students of Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri on Thursday afternoon. Five teachers were also abducted while a policeman was killed during the attack. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Adeleke Adeyinka-Bode, confirmed the incident in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). “The truth is that the attack took place and five teachers have been taken away, four male and one female, but the number of students abducted are not known yet. “The attack took place around 12:pm, and during the crossfire between police and the bandits, some students had been injured and one police officer was also injured and another was killed. These are the facts I can give to you,” he said. The police commissioner said that the school principal who should provide details of the number of students abducted was still in shock. “The principal is not in the best state of mind as

Gennaro Gattuso and Fiorentina have agreed to part, just over three weeks after the former Italy international was appointed as coach at the Serie A club. Fiorentina and coach Rino Gattuso have decided, by common consent, not to follow up on the previous agreements and therefore not to start the next season together, the club said on their website, adding that they would “immediately set to work to identify” another coach. The former AC Milan and Napoli coach was appointed on May 25. AFP

Lawmaker representing Osun Central Senatorial District in Osun State, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru has insisted that no law exists in Nigeria creating grazing routes for Cattle in the country. The lawmaker's comments is the direct opposite of what President Muhammadu Buhari said in an interview with Arise TV in which he directed the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN to begin the process of recovering grazing routes across the country which he said were created by law in 1963. In a statement personally signed by Senator Basiru who is also the spokesman of the Senate, he said: "Further to my earlier comment in my personal capacity, as a Senator Representing Osun Central Senatorial District, on the debate over the statement by President Mohammadu Buhari that the President said he has instructed the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation to gazette the law on grazing-routes, I reiterate my earlier position that the President, with all respect

A group of legal practitioners under the aegis of the Association of Lawyers from Conflict Zones has urged the Benue State Goverment to put an immediate end to the invasion of Ukpute Community in Oju Local Government of Benue State by members of a neighbouring Bonta community using their militia and collaborators. The lawyers believe that deploying security personnel to the conflict area will minimise further loss of lives, destruction of property and mass suffering of the displaced, especially women and children. A statement signed by the President, Conflict Zone Lawyers, John Owulo Esq and made available to this blog, stated that deployment of security agents to the conflict area will also send the needed signal to the militia who have acted with impunity by repeatedly frustrating government's effort at restoring peace through boundary demarcation and had gotten away with it. The statement also said: "Government's silence in the face of serial violations of its in

President Muhammadu Buhari will visit Maiduguri on  Thursday,  on a one-day official visit to Borno State. The state governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, stated this in a special broadcast to the people of the state on Wednesday. Zulum said the president would appraise security situation and inaugurate some of the viable projects executed by the Federal and State Governments during the visit. “I once again, thank you for supporting our administration. I remain grateful to everyone, for your support, well wishes, prayers and above all, for being good citizens. “Insha’Allah; our President, Muhammadu Buhari, will be coming to Borno State on Thursday, June 17, 2021. “The president is coming to appraise security situation in the northeast during which he will commission some of developmental projects executed by the state government. “The President will also commission the first phase of 10,000 houses which he generously approved and funded, for the resettlement o

Barely two days after an attack on Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, Kaduna state, unknown gunmen have  again attacked Kofar Gayan and Kofar Kona areas of Zaria and abducted some  residents. ASP Mohammed Jalige, Police Public Relations Officer, Kaduna State  Command, who confirmed the incident, said he was trying to gather details to update the press. However, an official of Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KadVS), who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on condition of anonymity Sunday in Zaria, said the incident occurred  between  12.01 and 1.00am on Saturday night. The official, who did not give details on the exact number of people abducted by the kidnappers, said the incident occurred around Government Girls Secondary School, Kofar Gayan. An eyewitness, Malam Abdullahi Mohammed, a resident of the area, said no fewer than 12 people were abducted during the operation. He added that about eight people were kidnapped from a single house, while others were picked separately.

The Senate Chief Whip and former Governor of Abia state,  Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has called for restraints from the Masterminds of the insecurity in the South East warning that the repetition of the 1967 genocide won’t be tolerated.  He noted that the insecurity in the South East region is strange revealing that Igbos are not known for burning homes to punish enemies.  In a statement on Tuesday, personally signed by the Senate Chief Whip,  he questioned the sense in the killing of policemen  and military officers, asking the masterminds and perpetrators of the deadly act the wisdom in eliminating those meant to protect them, families and relatives.  He urged them to have a rethink in their actions and advised them to choose a more rigteous path in expressing their grievances. According to the former Governor,  "the policemen and military officers being killed are fathers,  mothers, husbands, wives, children and relatives.  Anyone that has lost a close relative knows wh

Two non-governmental organizations, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) have condemned the Federal Government’s indefinite suspension of Twitter in Nigeria and threatened to lodge a formal complaint before the appropriate agencies of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) if the Government does not immediately rescind the ban, arguing that the action is an unjustifiable violation of the rights of all Nigerians to freedom of expression and access to information, while also contravening the relevant instruments of both bodies. In a statement issued in Lagos, the organizations condemned the Government’s action as a violation of international norms and standards, citing the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights’ Resolution 362 on the  Right to Freedom of Information and Expression on the Internet in Africa, adopted on November 4, 2016 at its 59 th  Ordinary Session;  the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and A

The pastor of Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos, Prophet TB Joshua has died at the age of 57. This was announced in a statement titled, ‘Prophet TB Joshua – June 12th 1963 to June 5th 2021,’ issued on the verified Facebook page of his ministries on Sunday. The cause of his death was not revealed. However, the statement said the clergyman spent his last moment on earth in the service of God. “On Saturday 5th June 2021, Prophet TB Joshua spoke during the Emmanuel TV Partners Meeting: “Time for everything – time to come here for prayer and time to return home after the service.” “God has taken His servant Prophet TB Joshua home – as it should be by divine will. His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for. “As Prophet TB Joshua says, “The greatest way to use life is to spend it on something that will outlive it”. “Prophet TB Joshua leaves a legacy of service and sacrifice to God’s Kingdom that is l