Headline: (November 29, 2020)
“BOKO HARAM “SLAUGHTERS” 43 RICE FARMERS IN BORNO”
“No fewer than 43 farmers were murdered when suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked some locals in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State, residents told Daily Trust.
It was gathered that the victims, who were rice farmers, were attacked on their farms in Koshebe area of Zabarmari village, and murdered in cold blood.
People in Zabarmari, located few kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital, are famous for cultivating rice and other crops.
One of the local hunters, who participated in a search and rescue operation, said most of the farmers found dead in the rice field had their throats slit.
“We have recovered 43 corpses. The attackers slaughtered all of them,” he said.
As we speak, there is great disquiet and mourning in our communities,” the hunter said.
The Chairman Rice Farmers Association in Zabarmari, Malam Hassan, who corroborated the sad incident, expressed dismay over the senseless and vicious killing of innocent farmers, including children.
“It is very sad, for us, that these people went to their farms to work, only to be attacked and killed in this manner. So far, we have recovered 43 corpses, including children.”
When contacted, Borno Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP EdetOkon, said he has not been briefed on the incident.
“I am not aware but if there is anything, I will get back to you. Honestly, I am not aware.”
An attempt to get the reaction of the member representing Jere Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engr. Ahmad Satomi, proved abortive as he did not pick his calls.
Our correspondent reports that the farmers were killed while harvesting their farm produce. Unlike their colleagues in far flung locations, people in communities near Maiduguri have had the opportunity of cultivating their farms.
There was no immediate statement from the Borno State government at the time of filing this report.
Millions of people, including farmers and fishermen had deserted their homes because of the over 11-year-old Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives.
Governor Babagana Zulum had since September commenced the relocation of IDPs from the state capital and other local government headquarters to their respective ancestral homes.
They were among the over 2.7 million people displaced by the intractable violence.
Until recently, Borno had 32 official IDP camps with an unknown number of unofficial camps hosting a larger number of the IDPs.”
Even the battle-hardened cops at Interpol were moved to tears by the front page headline of “The Punch” newspaper of December 7, 2020:
“AFTER BEHEADING 78 YOUTHS, BOKO HARAM GOT TIRED AND TOLD OTHERS TO GO AND SPREAD NEWS ABOUT KILLING”
– Bukar, Zabarmari Village Head (Borno State, Nigeria)
In a spirited effort to sustain its leadership position with regard to sending complaints to Interpol, “Daily Trust” newspaper went to town on January 18,2021 with the following front page headline:
“STATES ‘SQUANDER’ BILLIONS AS RULING PARTIES CLEAR LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLLS.”
· Kano spends N2.3 billion; Rivers N2 billiion, Kaduna N1 billion; Plateau N1 billion.
· Jigawa, Gombe, Ondo, others mum on expenditure
· It’s a fraud, CSO’s say, calls for SIEC’s (State Independent Electoral Commission) Scrap.
“The Nation” newspaper of January 18, 2021 delivered two front page complaints directly to Interpol.
(i) Headline: “N855 MILLION FRAUD: EFCC REJECTS ALLEGED PARDON OF INDIAN, BANKERS”
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged the Court of Appeal in Lagos to set aside a purported pardon granted an Indian businessman, Ashok Israni, and two Keystone Bank officials, AnayoNwosu and OlajideOshodi.
Justice Kudirat Jose of the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere had, last December, jailed Israni, Nwosu and Oshodi for five years on an amended 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence the sum of N855 million.
Justice Jose had also convicted NULEC Industries Limited, belonging to Israni, and Keystone Bank Limited, ordering them to pay N20 million to the Federal Government as restitution for the N395 million to the fraud victim.
Four months after their conviction, the convicts were released from custody by officials of the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, allegedly on the directive of the Lagos State government, despite the pendency of their separate appeals before the Court of Appeal.
The EFCC, in the application by its counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), insisted that in the eye of the law, pardon cannot be granted to convicts whose rights of appeal had not been exhausted.
The anti-graft agency is also praying the appellate court to declare the purported pardon illegal, since the appellants’ appeals had been filed and entered since February 13, 2020, but could not be heard due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The EFCC also maintained that it had prepared its respondent’s brief of argument, but was unable to file it because the pandemic paralysed judicial activities.
It alleged that the Correctional Services authority only sent a letter confirming the appellants’ release but had not provided a copy of the instrument of pardon.
The EFCC also claimed that immediately Nwosu was released, he allegedly made so many publications on social media platforms to the effect that he was wrongly convicted, jailed and maltreated by the whims and caprices of the nominal complainant.
The appellants, in their separate appeals, argued that the Lagos State High Court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the charge filed against them because it borders on the purchase of shares by an investor.
They also argued that Section 251 (1) (e) of the 1999 Constitution gives the Federal High Court exclusive jurisdiction on matters arising from the operation of companies pursuant to the Companies and Allied Matters Act.
The EFCC had alleged that the appellants fraudulently converted N855 million, being the property of Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited, to their use between 14 July and 31, 2008, in Lagos.”
