The Lagos State Area Unit of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, MSSN, has warned Tutor-Generals/Permanent Secretaries, principals and teachers, to adhere to the Appeal Court judgement granting the right to wear hijab in public schools in the state.

This came two months after the Court of Appeal granted the right to wear hijab in all public primary and secondary schools in Lagos State, interpreting that sections 38 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees the fundamental human right of wearing hijab. Also, the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, has asked members not to direct students to remove or seize hijab.

Amir of the MSSN, Lagos State, Mr. Saheed Ashafa, who gave the warning, yesterday, in a statement, insisted that students should neither be punished, harassed nor victimised for wearing hijab within and outside the school premises. He stated that: “Though, we do not expect any teacher to act to the contrary, if they do, we urge our members to ensure that they resist removing the hijab with their own hands.

They should ensure that the teacher or overzealous principal do it themselves. And after any of the education stakeholders does that, he or she should be prepared for legal and mass actions.” Reminding the stakeholders that the right to wear hijab has been granted in Lagos State-owned public schools, Ashafa said: “It will not be fair for any tutor-general, principal or teacher to order any student to remove their hijab; such action amount to committing contempt of court.

The statement read: “A situation where a principal or teacher will be seen punishing, threatening, assaulting or harassing a student for wearing hijab, after the judiciary has granted it, will amount to not only contempt of court but a betrayal of literacy, ridiculing of education and an abuse of reasoning.

“We plead that all the stakeholders in education should be law abiding and practicalise what they have been teaching us as students. We commend our teachers for their efforts from inception and hope that as students’ resume, they will not demonstrate to us how to disobey the constitution and judiciary.”

– Vanguard

The kidnappers, who abducted four landlords around Lekki Gardens Estate, in the Isheri North area of Lagos State, have demanded N300m each to release their victims.

The assailants called family members of their victims on Sunday to make the demand, threatening to harm the landlords if the demand was not met.

Our correspondent had reported that the gunmen, who were masked, emerged from the waterways while the residents were jogging around 8am on Saturday.

They were said to have shot sporadically into the air before taking away their victims in a speedboat.

Those who escaped the attack said they hid in the water for over one hour until security operatives arrived in the area.

A source in the community said the kidnappers had contacted families of the victims and demanded ransom, describing the demand as unrealistic.

He said, “They have made contact and they asked for N300m for each of the victims. They said they would communicate where they would drop the money. But we all know that the demand is unrealistic. Where do they expect the families to get N1.2bn from?”

The source added that landlords in all the estates had started a series of meetings to find a way out of the conundrum, adding that the incident was unprecedented in the community.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos, Abdulmajid Ali, has raised a team to go after the hoodlums.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesperson for the command, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the team had been given an order to rescue the victims unhurt.

The statement said, “The AIG, who gave the directive to the team which comprises trained and versatile police operatives and ICT experts from Lagos and Ogun commands and the Force headquarters, Abuja, described the incident as unfortunate and totally unacceptable.

“AIG Ali assures relations of the victims and the public of timely and successful rescue operation as the police have clues to the incident. And that the hoodlums, who have no hiding place, will be apprehended. He also assures the residents of the area of adequate security.

“He appeals to the relations of the victims and the public to support the police with useful information on the rescue operation while he works assiduously with the two commissioners of police in Lagos and Ogun and other stakeholders, to rescue the victims and sustain the fight against kidnapping and other crimes within the zonal command.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has traced properties worth N1.5bn to a former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa.

Our correspondent learnt on Sunday that as part of investigations into an alleged case of money laundering, the EFCC discovered some properties, which Dudafa had not been able to explain where he got the money to buy them.

The commission discovered a mansion in the Agungi area of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, allegedly belonging to Dudafa, said to be worth over N300m.

The anti-graft agency also traced a plot of land around the Chevron Estate, off the Lekki-Epe Expressway and a twin duplex within the same area said to belong to Dudafa.

Apart from the Lagos properties, an edifice in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, was also traced to Dudafa.

A source in the EFCC said, “When we are probing a person, we usually investigate his lifestyle and see if he or she is living above his means. Since Dudafa has already been arraigned for money laundering, we decided to launch further investigations into his lifestyle.

“We found a white mansion in the Agungi area of Lagos, very close to Lekki. He has about four exotic cars in the compound. We did not seal it off because people live there. So, we just placed a sticker on the fence to indicate that the property is a subject of investigation.

“Dudafa also has a twin duplex around the Chevron Estate. We did not seal it off because he has rented the property out. However, he has a parcel of land around the place, which we have sealed off.

“We have arraigned Dudafa and if he is found guilty, he will forfeit the properties.”

Dudafa first became a subject of EFCC investigation when a former Aide-de-Camp to Jonathan, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe (retd.), told detectives that he handed over N10bn (converted to foreign currency) to Dudafa on the eve of the 2014 Peoples Democratic Party presidential primary in which Jonathan was the sole aspirant.

The money given to Dudafa was allegedly used in bribing PDP delegates.

The money was allegedly diverted by the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) from a Signature Bonus Account in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The N10bn is believed to have been diverted from oil receipts as follows: $5m (November 14, 2014); $47m (November 27, 2014); €4m (December 3, 2014) and €1.6m (December 24, 2014).

While Adegbe was arrested but later released, Dudafa was said to have fled to either Dubai or a Caribbean country where he stayed for several months.

Dudafa was finally arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on April 18, 2016.

The anti-graft agency said the former presidential aide returned N900m to the Federal Government.

Dudafa is also believed to be a front for Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of the former President.

Patience had said in a sworn affidavit two weeks ago that she gave Dudafa some money to help her open an account at Skye Bank.

She, however, stated that Dudafa used the money to open five accounts of which only one bore her name while the other four were opened in the names of Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development & Investment Co. Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited.

The current balance of the four accounts is $15,591,700 while the money in Patience’s personal account stands at $5m.

The four companies last week pleaded guilty to money laundering.

Patience risks losing the $15m to the government.

One Sammie Somiari, who deposed to an affidavit on behalf of Patience, claimed that the former President’s wife was the rightful owner of the $15m and that Dudafa helped her to open the bank accounts in 2010.

Culled from Punch

A woman, Latifat Adeyemi, who was allegedly battered by her uncle-in-law, Rasak Alabi, at Aga, Ikorodu, has cried out for justice.

Last Friday Alabi allegedly hit the victim with a spanner on her head and face.

The picture of the injured woman went viral on social media after a family friend Francis Ibirinde shared it on his Facebook wall.

In a telephone interview with Nation Correspondent, Adeyemi said her aunt’s husband attacked her at their 3, Ile-Ewe, Sholebo family residence at Aga, Ikorodu.

The makeup artist explained that trouble started after she got home on Friday night and discovered that the Air Conditioner in her room has been removed.

“I was surprised and angry that the AC in my room at our family house was removed by my aunt’s husband. His wife stays abroad. The house belongs to my grandparents but because his wife renovated it, he has been staying there ever since they resolved their marital problems.

“So, that day I got back from work and realised that my AC has been removed. I was angry. I picked my phone and called my sister, telling her that I have had it. That I don’t think I can continue staying in the house. I was still outside talking to my sister on phone, when the man from nowhere, hit me with spanner from behind.

“He said I was making noise. That was how he continued hitting me with the iron. I was bleeding but he didn’t care. When he was satisfied, he went inside.

“I had to call my parents and uncles before going to Ebute Police Sation to make an entry. At the station, the policemen asked me to go to the hospital and treat myself first that I was bleeding seriously. But I didn’t go straight to the hospital. I went back to the house to provoke the man so that he can come out but he did not. Then, I left for the hospital,” she said.

Continuing, Adeyemi said policemen later went there to invite him for questioning but he refused to answer them.

Rather, she said, the man went to Igbogbo police station to make another entry and took some men to her uncle’s house to arrest him.

“He took vigilante members (Onyabo) to my uncle’s place because my uncle was against him. But when the vigilante boys took my uncle away, some people who knew him quickly contacted their boss and told him what happened. My uncle was released. But he went and got policemen from another station to arrest him, despite that our case was already at Ebute police station. My uncle was arrested and detained at the station till the following morning when other family members came.

“I was on admission at the hospital and they had a family meeting and he said it was temptation. My bill was over N70,000. I was told he came to the hospital and paid the bills but he never bothered to check on me to see what he caused. Even the doctors told him to visit me and apologise but he refused. They said he paid the bill and left.

“His wife too has not bothered to call me to find out what happened. I really cannot say if there was any problem between us. I don’t know. But the action was very surprising and I don’t think I want him to go free after what he did to me.”
The victim who was at the Public Advice Centre (PAC), Ministry of Justice, Alausa on Friday, said she was determined to get justice for the unprovoked attack on her.

She said: “The man has refused me access to get my things. My clothes and other belongings are still inside the house. For three days after the assault, I wore the same dress. I want justice. The police have not been able to arrest him, I don’t know why. So, I have gone to the Ministry of Justice so that the government can look into the matter.”

A graduate of Political Science, Jehu Kwasu, has narrated how he impersonated the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah and defrauded prominent Nigerians of millions of naira.

Kwasu said his victims included Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church Worldwide, who he claimed gave him N500,000; the Chairman, Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko, N1m; Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, N500,000; businessman, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, N2m.

He allegedly collected the sums for Internally Displaced Persons.

He said, “I collected N500,000 from Otudeko, CEO, Honeywell: From Admiral Kanu, I got N500,000. I also got N500,000 from Bishop Oyedepo and N2m from Dantata. I also got money from Gen. Wushishi and others.

“I opened a Guaranty Trust Bank account in Bishop Kukah’s name. I registered a SIM card in my name, but used Bishop Kukah’s picture on my True Caller account, so that when I call, his picture would appear (on the recipient’s phone.)”

Kwasu, who is serving a two-month sentence in the Keffi Prison, admitted on Friday in Abuja that he realised over N5.7m.

Police sources said only N1.7m was found in his bank account, adding that the suspect spent most of the money he made on girls and hard drugs.

It was gathered that Kwasu, the son of late Anglican Bishop, James Kwasu, also exploited his father’s name, to extort money from the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, when the latter was the Speaker, House of Representatives. The 25-year old explained that he defrauded his victims by soliciting money on phone to cater to IDPs in the country.

The cleric’s son stated that he obtained a passport with the name, Mathew Hassah Kukah Jehu, and also opened an account with the GTB in the same name.

He said, “I called people on the telephone and told them I was Bishop Kukah. I used his picture on my True Caller account, so that when I called people, they would think he was the one talking with them.

“I also obtained a passport in Bishop Kukah’s name which I used to open an account with GTB. The money I realised was paid into the account and I used an Automated Teller Machine card to withdraw it.”

Punch Metro gathered that Kukah was alerted to the scam by some people close to him. The cleric was said to have petitioned the police, which asked the bank to place a “no debit order” on the account.

Following his inability to withdraw from the account, Kwasu was said to have visited the bank to complain, where he was arrested.

Findings indicate that Kwasu had earlier been arrested and remanded in prison for impersonating Bishop Steven Akobe of the Anglican Diocese of Kabba, Kogi State, but was granted bail.

The police said Kwasu had also attempted to extort money from Senator David Mark, claiming to be Akobe.

“Mark said I should come for some money, so I sent my girlfriend. But she was arrested and I was taken to court and sentenced to two months imprisonment or N9,000 fine,” Kwasu stated.

It was gathered that the suspect, who had two female siblings, sold his deceased parents’ house in Kaduna for N10m and lavished the money on girls and a profligate lifestyle.

The Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Mustafa, stated that Kwasu was arrested by the men of his command, after Kukah complained about his activities.

The CP said, “We received a petition from Bishop Kukah alleging that the boy had been impersonating him and extorting money from prominent people. So, my men went to work and were able to track the suspect and arrest him. He is a habitual criminal and I would like to advise the public against responding to emails or phone calls from unknown persons requesting financial support for one cause or the other.”

Mustafa also called on the public to report every suspicious phone call and email to the police for investigation.

~ Punch

A 28-year-old suspect who was arrested by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad for pick-pocketing, Deji Ayoola, proved his mettle by stealing N1,200 again inside the Police’s office during his interrogation.

The suspect was nabbed by the patrol team of the squad at Ojodu-Berger over the weekend for pick-pocketing a commuter trying to board a commercial vehicle to the Redemption Camp.

Ayoola had successfully perpetrated the crime before the RRS operatives who sighted him when he was removing the wallet pursued and arrested him.

The victim, Ayodele Akerele, said:

“I collected a sum of N14,500 from Automated Teller Machine (ATM) from a bank at Berger on my way to the Redemption Camp.

“However, I had no inkling that my money had been removed.

“It was about the time to pay fare that I discovered my wallet had disappeared.

“In fact, I had even forgotten about the money until the following day when an operative from RRS called me that my wallet was recovered from a suspect when they nabbed him.

“The Policeman added that they found my mobile number inside my wallet, which made it easy for them to call me.

“I was shocked to hear this because I had already lost hope of recovering the money.”

The suspect who lives at Mowe area of Ogun State, confessed to the crime and blamed the devil for it.
Ayoola said:

“I truly removed the wallet from his (victim) pocket before I was arrested by the policemen.

“They bundled me to their office immediately.

“It was the devil who pushed me into the act.

“I pray to God to forgive me.”

It was gathered that during his interrogation at the RRS’s headquarters in Alausa, the suspect showed his skill again by stylishly stepping on a N1,200, which fell from a police woman’s pocket while she was removing her cell phone from the pocket.

When the money dropped on the floor, rather than to draw her attention to the money, he pocketed it.

Unknown to him, another suspect had seen him when he was hiding the money and immediately alerted the officer that the money she was looking for was with the suspect.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Dolapo Badmus, who confirmed the incident, said the good people of Lagos State are sleeping with their eyes closed now as the crime rate in the state has drastically reduced.

The suspect has been transferred to the State Environmental Task Force on for prosecution.