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Cabals and godfathers are deliberately keeping Nigerians poor – Fela Durotoye

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Motivational speaker and 2019 presidential hopeful, Fela Durotoye has accused godfathers and cabals in politics of keeping Nigerians impoverished on purpose so that they can keep winning elections.

He said poverty is a deliberate strategy by the so-called cabals to influence the electoral system in the country by giving people the least bit of inducements to stay dependent on their generosity.

Durotoye spoke during an interview with Starr Radio UK yesterday when he was asked what he thinks is Nigeria’s greatest problem. According to him, if Nigeria is able to break the power grip of godfathers in Nigerian politics, all of the country’s problems will be solved as they keep an unhealthy hold on power to the detriment of everyone else.

He said, “If you ask me, the root cause of Nigeria’s problem is the structure, the power brace, the godfathers, and the cabals that decide to hold power to themselves and because of the way they decide to hold power to themselves at the detriment of everybody else.

The idea is the way that elected officials are selected by those godfathers and the way that the system is designed to ensure that people are impoverished so that they can reduce the cost of elections.

I tell people that poverty is not something that is natural to Nigeria, it is the result of a deliberate strategy that is there to keep people poor and hungry so that they can bring out a little bit of N1000 or N500 or N300 to be able to influence elections.”

Durotoye further called for an end to the delegate voting system in electing party candidates, a decision he said would strenghten internal democracy which should in turn eliminate corruption and promote people-oriented governance.

He said, “the day you make internal democracy work in all the parties where the people are the ones who vote for who becomes the candidate, then you’ll break the back of the power of godfathers because they can’t bribe everybody; but right now, you have only a delegate system and that delegate system makes sure that it is the people who own the delegates that you have to go and beg. So if I want to run in one of the conventional parties, I have to go and prostrate to the godfathers. When I go and prostrate to the godfathers, guess what happens once I become elected? It is them that I owe my allegiance, not the people and so you find out that that’s where corruption comes in.

“Corruption can never leave Nigeria until true democracy comes into Nigeria. What we have today is not true democracy, it is selectocracy. It is the ability of a few people to select who will go and serve everybody else and that’s not how it is done in the countries that we admire like the United Kingdom and the United States where we borrowed democracy from. “If we solve that problem and just get every party to be able to allow every member of the party to vote for who will become the candidates of the party, the rest of the problems will be solved.”

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Nnamdi Emeh: Suspect Facing Charges In Court, Process Independent Of Police Influence

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The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to recent reports circulating in the media concerning one Mr. Nnamdi Emeh, who is currently facing trial for alleged criminal offenses.

The NPF wishes to clarify that Mr. Emeh was lawfully apprehended following credible allegations against him, which were thoroughly investigated and presented before a competent court of law.

The charges preferred against him were duly filed, and he was arraigned before the Federal High Court, Awka, in line with due process.

It is important to emphasize that the judiciary operates independently, and the court retains the exclusive prerogative to evaluate the evidence presented, determine bail conditions, and take any further necessary actions as guided by the law.

Mr. Emeh was granted bail on terms established by the court. It therefore behoves on the suspect to take steps to meet such conditions and not resort to unecessary media rampage.

The NPF reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rule of law, ensuring justice, and maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.

The Force is also mindful of its duty to investigate allegations against all persons, including its officers, and to subject any suspect to the established legal process.

While the case against Mr. Emeh continues in court, we appeal to the public to allow the judicial process to take its full course without undue speculation or interference.

We urge all stakeholders, including members of the media, to present information responsibly and to allow the legal process to determine the outcome of the matter in the interest of justice.

The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its resolve to enforce the law impartially and to safeguard the rights of every individual as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.

ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI,
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,
FORCE HEADQUARTERS,
ABUJA.
16TH NOVEMBER, 2024

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Alice Loksha, abducted UNICEF nurse, escapes captivity after 6 years

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Alice Loksha, a nurse abducted by ISWAP terrorists, has regained freedom after six years in captivity.

She was abducted alongside two other female health workers on March 1, 2018, while working at a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) facility in Rann, Kala Balge LGA of Borno state.

Speaking with journalists at Maimalari cantonment, Maiduguri, on Friday, Kenneth Chigbu, deputy theatre commander of the joint task force (JTF) Operation Hadin Kai, said Loksha was found in Geidam, Yobe state, on October 24.

He said the 42-year-old nurse had been subjected to forced marriages with two ISWAP commanders and endured dire conditions before her eventual escape.

“She was initially taken to Tumbuma, where she was held for two days,” Chigbu said.

“From there, she was relocated to Kwalleram where she spent seven months and was forced into marriage with a terrorist leader named Abu Umar.

“The marriage led to the birth of a son, Muhammad. All this happened before Abu Umar was eliminated during a gunfight with troops in 2022.

“During that fight, he was found dead, and it was alleged that his colleagues had actually eliminated him.

“Ms Alice Loksha was again forced into another marriage to another ISWAP commander named Abu Simak in 2022 before the latter was banished by his fellow terrorists to Dogon Chukwu camp.

“It was from Dogon Chukwu that she managed to escape through the Diffa axis to Geidam on October 24, 2024, where she reported to troops of the Joint Task Force on October 29, 2024.

“She has since been subjected to medical evaluation and other humanitarian support.”

FAYINA, SISTER OF LATE SOLDIER, ALSO RESCUED

Chigbu also confirmed the escape of Fayina Ali, younger sister of late Samuel Andrew, an army officer who served under the 212 Battalion.

He said Fayina was abducted by ISWAP terrorists on October 19, 2022, while travelling to Maiduguri to process the death benefits of her late brother.

“Since then, she was held captive at Kangarwa enclave for nine months before she was taken to Tumbuma, where she remained for four years under one of the terrorist leaders, Muhammad Sheikh,” he said.

“She was later taken back to Kangaruwa, where she stayed for another year before her eventual escape.”

Both women were received on behalf of the Borno state government by Zuwaira Gambo, the state’s commissioner of women affairs and social development.

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NIDCOM rescues 13 trafficked girls from Ghana

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The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) says it has rescued another set of 13 trafficked girls from Ghana.

A statement on Friday by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NIDCOM spokesperson, said this brings the total number of girls repatriated to the country over the past five months to 163.

Balogun said the girls were lured to Ghana under the false promises of employment, but were later forced into exploitative situations and bound by an oath of secrecy.

He said the girls are aged between 19 to 30, and from Ebonyi, Benue, Kaduna and Rivers states.

Balogun said the rescue operation was as a result of the combined and coordinated efforts of the Ghanaian anti-human trafficking police, the Rescue Live Foundation International, and NIDO Ghana.

The girls were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration.

Speaking on the latest efforts, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chair of NIDCOM, reiterated the commission’s commitment to protecting Nigerians in the diaspora.

Akinboye Akinsola, NiDCOM representative, who accompanied the ladies back to Nigeria, said these set of ladies surrendered themselves willingly, having heard of the earlier operation conducted in Kpone Katamanso and Tema.

Valentine Okike Uzo, senior special assistant to governor of Ebonyi state, said efforts are in place to ensure a proper rehabilitation for victims from the state.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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