CAN slams minister over his comments

Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed yesterday came under criticism from Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leadership over statements credited to him at a town hall meeting in Ilorin.
Mohammed was quoted to have accused Christian religious leaders of making alleged provocative statements that could lead to religious war.
CAN expressed shock and described the minister’s words as disappointing.
A statement issued in Abuja by the Special Assistant to the CAN President, Adebayo Oladeji, said: “We are disappointed but not surprised with the disparaging, lies and abusive statements credited to the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in Ilorin during the Town hall meeting, where he was accusing religious leaders of making alleged provocative statements that can lead to religious war.
“Mohammed in his characteristic manner left out the issues but went after the so-called religious leaders, which we all know, are the Christian leaders because we know that the minister dare not speak against the Moslem leaders, who had said worse things. That would be an open invitation of Fatwah…
“We want to boldly declare that Nigerian Christians love their country and they not only promote peace and unity, but also always pray for her and the leadership. In the last one year, CAN has declared fasting and prayers for Nigeria and her leadership twice. If we are thirsty for a war, we wouldn’t have gone that far.
Is Lai Mohammed accusing of us of telling lies:
•That our members are being killed, maimed and burnt by the Boko Haram terrorists in the Northeast?
•That our members are being killed by the Fulani herdsmen in Plateau, Benue and now Southern Kaduna State?
•That those responsible for these killings profess Islam as their religion?
•That those who killed Madam Bridget Agbahime in Kano were Muslims who were arrested but later discharged and acquitted by the court as requested by the state Attorney- General and Commissioner of Justice?”
*That those who killed Madam Eunice Elisha Olawale while doing the morning preaching in Kubwa, Abuja, were Muslim fundamentalists who were arrested but also freed by the Police?
“Is Lai Mohammed telling us that no Christian was killed by the Fulani herdsmen, who invaded the Southern Kaduna, killed and maimed our members and razed down their communities recently? Is Mohammed saying the Fulani herdsmen who have been killing our members are not armed with sophisticated weapons and is it wrong for us to ask where they get the AK-47 and other weapons they are using?
“When all those killings were going on in Plateau, Benue and Southern Kaduna, was there any time Lai Mohammed or anyone in the Federal Government raised up a voice against the atrocities?
“If those murderous Fulani herdsmen are faceless, how come the Sultan of Sokoto is claiming that they are not Nigerians and in another instance, the Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai said they had been paid for the ‘wrong done to them’? Why is it that whenever these murderers are perpetrating their atrocities, the security agencies look elsewhere until their victims decided to fight back? Is it because the security agencies are Muslim dominated? CAN says no to disparaging remarks in the name of politics. Enough of these lies by Lai Mohammed!

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INEC Bribe Recovery: Rivers State Government Accuses Police Of Blackmail

The rivers state government has denied reports that the Nigerian police recovered N111 million naira from INEC officials allegedly bribed by the state’s governor, Nyesom Wike, in the last rerun elections.

In a statement signed by Mr. Austin Tam west,the state commissioner for information, the RSG chided the police the Nigerian police for trying to ‘mislead’ the public.

The statement read;

The attention of the Rivers State Government has been drawn to the melodramatic images of heaps of cash, circulated in the media by the so-called police panel of inquiry into the re-run elections in Rivers State, on the 10th of December 2016.

According to the Police, the heaps of money were “evidence” of bribe allegedly given to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, during the rerun polls.

We consider the allegations of the Police as shameful, defamatory and reckless in the extreme. Never in the annals of infamy have we seen a vital State security institution descend to the lowest depths of blackmail and criminality, as the Nigeria Police Force has done in this case.

A month ago, we alerted the world to the dark, Orwellian plot by the Nigeria Police to implicate governor Wike in a phoney bribe scandal. Now, the Police appears to be acting with shocking predictability, by making wild and completely groundless allegations against Wike.

The Rivers State Government challenges the Nigeria Police to show proof that Governor Wike financially induced any official of INEC. Does the Police have Bank records of the purported transactions between Governor Wike and the Electoral Officers? We challenge the Nigeria Police to move quickly to prosecute and imprison the so-called Electoral Officers on the basis of this dubious investigation.

We strongly believe that the police panel is part of a bitter, politically-driven smear campaign launched by the Federal Government against Governor Nyesom Wike, and the people of Rivers State.

We also believe that the Police is desperately seeking to divert attention from the disgraceful and criminal roles played by its officials, in the snatching and stuffing of ballot boxes during the December polls.

Rivers State will not succumb to the juvenile antics of the All Progressives Congress and its security surrogates.

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How Two Men Raped A Woman Inside A Mosque In Oyo. Robbed Her Afterwards (Photo)Y

Two night watchmen in an Ibadan filling station, paraded by Oyo State Police Command, weekend, confessed to have raped a stranded woman inside a mosque, after dispossessing her of her personal effects. .

While parading the suspects, Olajide Olakanmi and Olanrewaju Taiwo, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sam Adegbuyi, said they also robbed the stranded woman of her money and property. .

Adegbuyi said: “On February 1, at about 1a.m., two night guards attached to a filling station along Ologuneru-Eruwa Road, attacked a female, who had sought refuge at a nearby mosque and robbed her of her belongings, including phone and cash.


The men, armed with guns and cutlasses, also raped the victim before they escaped. However, due to thorough investigation, the two suspects, later identified as Olajide Olakanmi, aged 30, and Olanrewaju Taiwo, aged 29 were arrested.”


Giving details of what the victim was doing in the mosque at that time, the CP said she was coming from Niger State and arrived Ologuneru area around 11p.m. She was unable to get a vehicle to her dad’s place, near Eruwa. .

Adegbuyi added: “Then, a good Samaritan, who is a commercial motorcyclist, took her to the mosque to pass the night. But the suspects came from a nearby filling station and attacked her.”

The victim said her attackers stole N32,000 from her. When interviewed, the suspects confessed that they actually raped their victim and robbed her of her phone and money.

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Why Osinbajo can’t reveal Buhari’s health status

Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has stated that he is not in the position to disclose the true health status of President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigerians.
He said the President would tell Nigerians at the right time.

Speaking with State House correspondents shortly after meeting behind closed doors with the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the Acting President said he was not in any way under pressure to resign as reported in a section of the media last weekend.
He insisted that the President is hale and hearty and would address the nation at the appropriate time.
Buhari who was expected to resume duties today, following the expiration of his 10-day vacation, Sunday announced the extension of his vacation indefinitely.
Osinbajo said he had earlier spoken with Buhari, who is currently in London, to keep him posted on developments in the country, especially with regard to the 2017 Budget and the protests embarked upon by some Nigerians.

When asked by the media the status of the President’s health, Osinbajo said, “He is in the best position to answer that. He would do that as soon as possible. We spoke extensively today regarding the 2017 and the protest embarked upon by Nigerians.”

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