Hawkers, beggars to be jailed in Abuja

The Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Special Task Team on Abuja Environmental Protection, retired Sqn. Ldr. Abdullahi Monje, has warned that street hawkers and beggars would be prosecuted and jailed.

Monje gave the warning on Monday during a “show of force” by the task force at Jabi and Wuse Districts of Abuja.

He said that the period of grace given to street beggars and hawkers had elapsed, hence the need to enforce the relevant laws.

“We have already given them the benefit of the doubt and now the time has elapsed. What is left now is to enforce the relevant municipal laws.

“Anybody we arrest will be taken to court and prosecuted accordingly.

“If somebody refuses to comply with the rules and regulations based on what we have said, then we will arrest the person accordingly.

“As a matter of fact, we don’t want hawkers and beggars within the city centre of Abuja. They should keep away from the streets of Abuja,’’ he said.

Monje also said that the task force would focus on Keke Napep and unpainted taxi operators in the second phase of their cleanup campaign.

“The phase two is Keke Napep; then unpainted taxis. However, we don’t want to start with unpainted taxis, Keke Napep riders now.

“We want to give adequate time for sensitisation, so that by the time we start impounding, nobody will say ‘I didn’t know," he warned.

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Legislators using constituency projects to divert public funds - FG

The Federal Government on Tuesday said that constituency projects have over the years been used by legislators at the federal and state levels to embezzle and divert public funds.

The Federal Government expressed this position at the the one-day summit organised by the House of Representatives and Conference of Speakers in collaboration with the National Institute for Legislative Studies, NILS in Abuja.

Speaking at the summit, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr David Babachir Lawal said that in the past, lawmakers had used constituency projects as a conduit pipe to embezzle money, but that the  Muhammadu Buhari administration had come to put a stop to the practice.

Also speaking at the summit, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babandede Fashola advised legislators to carefully look at their constitutionally enshrined functions to duplication of roles meant for the local governments.

“I say this because we must avoid the risk of crowded projects where legislators at the national level are made strictly to implement constituency projects that involve primary healthcare centres, which are for the local governments," he said.

He added that although the provision of grassroots projects was part of the change mantra of the present administration, government would not be complacent to see monies voted for public projects go into private pockets.

“In line with the change mantra of the government, which is determined to execute projects that will impact positively on the lives of people of every federal constituency and senatorial district in executable and evenly distributed manner, I charge all the stakeholders and participants at this summit to extensively brainstorm on how best to fully deliver, utilize and extend constituency projects in the best interest of the people and come up with appropriate recommendations to government on how best to proceed.”

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Saraki, Ekweremadu, others to be arraigned for forgery on Tuesday.

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu will be arraigned alongside the former Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and his deputy, Mr. Benedict Efeturi on Tuesday before an Abuja High Court sitting in Jabi on a two-count charge of conspiracy and forgery.

In the suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the accused are  alleged to have conspired to forge the Senate Standing Orders, 2015 which was used in conducting the July 9, 2015, election through which both Saraki and Ekweremadu emerged as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively.

The Attorney General argues in the suit that the accused had by their conduct, committed an offence punishable under Section 97 (1) and 364 of the Penal Code.

The charge reads: “That you, Salisu Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, on or about June 9, 2015, at the National Assembly complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, conspired amongst yourselves to forge the Senate Standing Order, 2011 (as amended) and you thereby committed the offence of conspiracy, punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Law."

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Freezing of Fayose's account in order - EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has said that the fact that Ayo Fayose is a sitting governor does not prevent the anti-graft agency from investigating suspicious movements of funds into his accounts.

Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the EFCC said that the agency has the mandate to investigate any governor whose accounts are to be used in moving suspicious funds.

“Immunity does not prevent EFCC from investigating suspicious accounts of those enjoying immunity and Fayose cannot be an exception," he said.

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Grandpa, 30 year-old man defile 6 years old girl in Kaduna

67 years old Yahaya Umar is now a guest of Kaduna State Police Command, having been caught in the act defiling his neighbour's six years old daughter.

DSP Zubeiru Abuja while confirming the arrest of the suspect in Kaduna on Sunday said that preliminary investigation revealed that the minor had earlier been abused by another neighbour.

“Medical reports showed that one Mohammed Auwal, 30, who happened to be her neighbour had earlier uncovered the girl’s nakedness and he was arrested in connection to the case and investigation is ongoing.," he said.

He assured that the suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigation.

Mother of the victim, Mrs Hindatu Mohammed narrated her child's ordeal to correspondents.

said the incident occurred on Monday 13th June, 2016 at about 1pm in their residential apartment located in Tudun Wada, Kaduna.
"After my daughter Safiya, six years old returned from school, I sent her to go and buy detergent for me, but she didn’t return early as expected.

“So I became worried and began looking for her. Then one boy came to my house to inform me that my daughter had just been raped. That boy told me that it was a woman who was passing by that caught the old man in the act in an uncompleted building within the area and her call for help resulted in his arrest.

“So I went to see for myself in the company of my co-wife. We went to the police station at Tudun Nupawa.

“When we reached the Police station, I learnt that my daughter had been taken to hospital for test to ascertain if she was actually raped, and it was confirmed that she was raped.

“I am so afraid that she might be infected with HIV/Aids and I was told that after the Doctors investigation, it was discovered that she had been raped earlier by another person before  the 67 years old man

“And it was our neighbor Mohammed Auwal my daughter identified and the police have already arrested him. They are both in police custody. Initially, I didn’t even know that this other person has been raping my daughter because we are neighbours,” she said.

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Aisha Buhari donates relief materials to 800 Borno IDPs

As part of her pet project, Future Assured's humanitarian activities to assist the poor, wife of the president, Mrs Aisha Buhari on Sunday, donated relief materials including foodstuff to additional 800 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in Borno State.

She was however, represented at the presentation by Mrs Nana Shettima, wife of the governor of Borno State.

“God loves charity givers and givers never lack. This I believe should serve as a word of expression to people who give the little they have to the plight of the needy,” Mrs Shettima said.

“The wife of the President and President Muhammadu Buhari have shown us true compassion and political will towards the plight of our people who have passed through great hardship.

“We also commend the president for bringing relative peace to our dear state. People are now going about their socio-economic activities without any fear.”

Mrs. Buhari urged Borno people to be their brother’s keeper in the spirit of Ramadan even as she appealed to the well to do to make life more meaningful for the less privileged.

NAN

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President Buhari on arrival at Abuja airport (Photo)

President Buhari on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Sunday evening.

The president returned to Nigeria after holidaying for 13 days in London.

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