UN Pressure Nigerian Government To Release Man Accused Of Insulting Prophet Muhammad

United Nations experts have called on Nigerian authorities to immediately release prominent humanist and rights defender, Mubarak Bala, detained without charge on accusations of blasphemy.
“We are deeply concerned over the serious lack of due process in Mr Bala’s case. He has reportedly not had access to a lawyer nor been allowed family visits and has been transferred and detained in Kano State without charge since his arrest in Kaduna on 28 April 2020,” the human rights experts said.
President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, Bala has led human rights education campaigns to promote freedom of religion or belief and raise awareness about religious extremism via Internet or social media platforms.
His arrest followed a petition filed with the police in Kano on April 27 alleging that he had insulted Prophet Muhammad in Facebook posts.
Mubarak Bala
Bala has reportedly received death threats, including one threatening to burn down the police station where he is detained.
“The arrest and detention of Mr Bala amounts to persecution of non-believers in Nigeria,” the UN experts said. “We are concerned that he may be prosecuted under anti-blasphemy laws that provide for capital punishment in Nigeria.”
The independent experts said the expression of opinion and beliefs including what is seen to offend religious sensibilities is protected by international law and should not be restricted.
“The application of the death penalty for alleged ‘blasphemy’ is a flagrant violation of Nigeria’s international human rights law obligations,” they said.
International law prohibits sanction against anyone for adopting, changing or not having any religion or belief, the experts added.
They said, “We are also gravely concerned about Mr Bala’s safety, while in detention, in light of the death threats against him, and further fear that he may be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment due to his atheistic beliefs.”
The experts recalled that in 2014 Bala was forcibly admitted to the psychiatric ward of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for 18 days after he had been assessed as needing psychiatric help for being an atheist.
“We deplore the use of psychiatric institutions for the detention and silencing of those with different opinions through medical diagnosis and isolation.”
The experts further noted that reports have indicated that the small community of non-religious people or non-believers in Nigeria constantly face harassment, discrimination, persecution and prohibitive social taboos.
The UN human rights experts said they were disappointed that the government had not responded to their urgent appeal sent in May.
“No one should be arbitrarily detained or arrested for expressing peacefully their opinion, thought and conscience or for simply being an atheist,” they said.

Credit: SaharaReporters

FG Approves N75bn Fund For Nigerian Youths Between 18 & 35 Years

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) authorized the sum of N75 billion for the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF). This is to offer financial backup for creative youths.
FG Approves N75bn Fund for Nigerian Youths Between 18 & 35 Years
The NYIF, also called ‘the Youth Bank’, would generate financial backing for the creativity and innovation of Nigerian youths within the age range of 18 and 35 years.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare revealed this to State House Correspondents after a prolonged FEC meeting on Wednesday night.
The Minister stated that those between the ages of 18 and 35, who have tangible business ideas would be qualified to pitch their ideas in any of the 125 micro-credit banks across the country and qualified candidates would have access to the funds.
Dare said:
“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the Federal Executive Council today approved the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to the tune of N75 billion. This fund will create a special window for accessing credit facilities and finance on the part of our youths that will help to fund their ideas, innovations.”
“The best way to call it is that for the first time the country will have a youth bank.”
FEC also authorized the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to play a lead role in working on essential steps in terms of legislation, organisation and other aspects of financing.
“The Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning will take the lead when it comes to the aspect of the financing, working with the CBN, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and other relevant MDAs.”
“A couple of other details will be released later, but I think the most important thing is that the N75 billion Nigerian Youth Investment Fund, to cater specifically for this target group, a population of over 68 million, got the attention and support of the Federal Executive Council today and this fund will be assessed by our youths, once they are able to present their ideas, they can assess this fund directly,”
Dare added.
He also promised that just as the N-Power programme, the process of the Youth Bank would be digital and acceptable to all youth aged between 18 and 35 years, regardless of tribe or social status.

You’re A Failed President- Imam Of Peace Drags President Buhari

You’re A Failed President-Imam Of Peace Drags President Buhari Over Mali Peace Keeping Trip
Popular Social Activist Imam of Peace has come out to drag President Buhari following his trip to Mali in the early hours of today for a peace keeping mission.
The Muslim cleric took to his Twitter page to call out the president for falling his people.
According to Imam of Peace, President Buhari is a failed president who is yet to fix the issues of his own country but his out there helping other nations save their own.
He explained that president Buhari’s house is burning but the president has choosen to focus on helping and going on peace mission to other nations.

Lagos Spends N.1m Daily On Each Mild-to-moderate COVID-19 Patient –Commissioner

The Lagos Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says the state government spends about N100,000 daily on each COVID-19 patient whose case is mild-to-moderate.
He added that a severe case could gulp up to one million naira to maintain on a daily basis.
Abayomi disclosed this on Thursday while briefing the media on COVID-19 update in Alausa.
According to the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, mild and moderate cases of COVID-19 patients are usually defined as those without pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or Intensive Care Unit admission.
They may, however, have symptoms such as dyspnea [shortness of breath], headache, anosmia [loss of the sense of smell], diarrhoea, sore throat, fatigue, fever and rhinorrhea [runny nose].

Speaking on the financial cost of managing COVID-19 patients in the state’s isolation centres, Abayomi said the cost of treatment depends on whether a patient’s symptoms are mild, moderate, high care or intensive care case.
“To treat mild-to-moderate case patients in our isolation centre is somewhere in the region of N100,000 per day.
“That gives you an idea of the amount of money the government is spending on COVID-19 isolation facilities and COVID-19 care.
“If you require high care or intensive care, that amount can go up to anything from N500,000 to even a million naira per day, depending on the complications of the case.
“Do you need ventilation, dialysis, intravenous antibiotics… Every case is different; so, it is difficult to calculate exactly how much a patient in high care or intensive care would cost.
“We are working on the rate and we would make it available when it’s ready,” he said.
The commissioner noted that there were 13,543 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Lagos, 2,075 of the cases had been discharged from isolation centres, while 192 deaths have been recorded so far.

Credit: TodaySplash

Akpabio denies saying lawmakers got NDDC contracts

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has replied to the National Assembly denying he said that the lawmakers got 60 per cent of the contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who announced the receipt of Akpabio’s response, said the minister claimed to have referred to old contracts awarded by the NDDC which had not been paid for and some of which are part of the constituency projects of the lawmakers.

Gbajabiamila said Akpabio’s response would be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges to look at the merits of the minister’s arguments.

The minister’s response came after Gbajabiamila said the lawmakers would sue Akpabio for failing to prove that NDDC awarded contracts to them.

More details later…

Credit: Punch

Photonews: Elderly women goes naked in Kaduna to protest unending killings

NDDC contract: House Of Representatives To Sue Akpabio For Comment

The House of Representatives is set to sue Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, for comments he made that federal lawmakers receive over 60 per cent of contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission.
Akpabio made the comment on Tuesday when he appeared before the House Committee probing financial misappropriation in the NDDC.
Irked by Akpabio’s comment, Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave Akpabio a 48-hour ultimatum to name the lawmakers that benefitted from the contracts.
After failing to do so, Gbajabiamila, who spoke at the commencement of the plenary on Thursday, said the House will begin the process to sue Akpabio.
He said, “As much as we still have a lot to do in that regard, I refuse to sit here in good conscience and allow anyone to assassinate the character of the House in an attempt to deflect accountability for their conduct in office.
“This morning, I asked the Clerk of @HouseNGR to engage the services of legal counsel, and instruct them to initiate a criminal complaint of perjury against the minister. At the same time, we will instruct counsel to explore the possibility of a civil defamation suit.
“The House of Representatives is a public trust placed in our care for the duration of our term in office. We must prove ourselves worthy of this public trust or risk the censure of history.
“Therefore, we will resist every attempt to undermine this institution, whether such attempts come from within or from outside. @HouseNGR will live up to the highest expectations of the Nigerian people. This is our commitment, and we will not fail.”

Credit: SaharaReporters

Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile, finally laid to rest

Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile, has finally been laid to rest in Abuja.
Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, led others to pay their last respect to the Nigerian heroine whose life was cut short following an accident, amid tears
May her soul rest in peace

Tolulope Arotile, first female helicopter combat pilot burial preparations are underway

Preparations are underway in Abuja for the burial of Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile, who recently lost her life following an accident. PurpleWorld is on to cover proceedings from the state burial organized for the departed.

Our Head Of Formation Didn’t Assault FAAN Official ― DSS

The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied a report that one of its officers assaulted an official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) who tried to caution him against breaching laid down COVID-19 protocols.
The Spokesman for the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya in a statement sent to Vanguard denied that any FAAN official was assaulted.
Afunanya said: “The attention of the DSS has been drawn to the official release by FAAN that its staff was assaulted by the DSS Head of Formation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja.
“So far, it has not been established that any FAAN staff was assaulted. “DSS personnel are well mannered and could not have slapped or fought a worker of another agency. “The news, as reported by sections of the media, has left an impression that is not factual and should, therefore, be disregarded.
“For the record, no DSS staff fought or engaged in any acts prejudicial to discipline or inimical to public safety at the Airport under reference.

” In line with its statutory duties, the Service recognizes the Airports as one of the country’s most important assets and has remained at the forefront of protecting them and other critical ones. It takes their security seriously and cannot breach it.
“As a strategic partner, the Service holds FAAN and its staff in good esteem. Both agencies have, over time, enjoyed a robust working relationship in the areas of training and exchange programmes.
“For these reasons, the DSS will not join issues with it. It is believed that there are other avenues than the social media to resolve any misunderstanding among the staff of two agencies that have had a long history of the unity of purpose in the execution of their mandates.
” It should be noted that the Service and the DGSS place premium on the effective interagency collaboration needed to achieve positive outcomes for good of the nation and citizens.
“The travelling public is urged to go about their normal businesses as the Service, in conjunction with relevant authorities including FAAN, is committed to their safety,” Afunanya said.

Credit: TodaySplash