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Southern and middle belt leaders ask Buhari to sack DSS DG over attempt to arrest Emefiele

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The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Yusuf Bichi, the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The forum said this in a statement issued on Monday by Edwin Clark, leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF); Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere; Pogu Bitrus, president of the Middle Belt Forum; and Okey Emuchay, secretary-general, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

The forum said its demand for the sack of the DSS DG followed the recent attempt by the security agency to arrest Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

BODEX BLOG had reported how a federal high court in Abuja declined an application by the DSS to arrest Emefiele over terrorism charges.

There were speculations that the bid to arrest Emefiele might be political, given the impact the redesign of the naira and limit on cash withdrawals might have on vote buying in the 2023 elections.

Reacting to the development, the southern and middle belt leaders said the action of the DSS is a disservice to the country.

“It is unthinkable that the DSS would so recklessly and casually, accuse Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, of “financing terrorism” and involvement in “Economic Crimes of National Security dimension”,” the statement reads.

“This is not only baffling, but also a shameful disgrace to the Buhari Administration and the Country, and it is capable of unsettling the fragile socio-economic tractions of the country.

“What is the evidence that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, is involved in “Terrorism Financing”? If the allegations against the CBN Governor are genuine, why didn’t the DSS present its findings to the President for consideration and necessary action?

“Truth be told, there are elements within, and outside, the Buhari administration that do not want Mr. Godwin Emefiele to remain in office, as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; the reasons are not farfetched.

“Recall that barely forty-eight hours after the announcement of the redesign of the country’s currency by the CBN, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, disowned the Policy.

“She went on to assert that the redesigning, which the apex bank said is aimed at fighting banditry and kidnapping for ransom, controlling the amount of money in circulation, fighting inflation and addressing issues of corruption and hoarding of naira notes by individuals, if implemented, would portend great consequences for the Country and its economy.

“Similar disagreeable remarks were made by other top officials, with outrageous postulations and disparaging commentaries also peddled to discredit the person and Office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“More importantly, SMBLF, calls for a thorough investigation of the incident, to determine officials and individuals behind the disgraceful and subversive plot, and appropriate sanctions must be meted out to anyone found culpable.

“This is a very sensitive matter and must be given serious attention by the government. The misadventure has further brought to the fore the disturbing gaps and discordance in the Buhari administration, which account for the many policy conflicts and misdirection in the government.”

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Lagos state government begins demolition of illegal shanties in Ikoyi Towers

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The Lagos State Government has begun the demolition of illegal shanties within the abandoned Ikoyi Towers, days after discovering hundreds of undocumented individuals residing in makeshift structures in the compound.

This development was disclosed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, through a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday.

According to Wahab, the enforcement operation commenced after the expiration of the 48-hour eviction notice served by the state government to the inhabitants of these unauthorized structures.

“After the expiration of a 48-hour vacation notice served, the joint team of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps @LAGESCOfficial (KAI) and the Special Taskforce on Environmental Offences commenced enforcement and removal of illegal shanties built inside the Ikoyi Towers compound housing illegal occupants posing a security threat to the environment and nuisance to the State, and whose daily activities could not be ascertained,” Wahab’s post read in part.

Wahab further noted that the government’s issuance of relocation notices and enforcement actions aims to reclaim land and public facilities that have been converted to personal use, ensure public safety, enforce urban planning regulations, and tackle the proliferation of illegal settlements and structures throughout the state.

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Stormy Daniels testifies against Trump at hush money trial

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The porn star at the heart of Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial, Stormy Daniels, testified on Tuesday about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with the former president in a hotel penthouse suite.

Trump, 77, is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels on the eve of his 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, when the lurid story of marital infidelity could have sunk his campaign.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger announced “The people call Stormy Daniels,” as Trump, who is seeking to recapture the White House in November, sat at the defense table in the Manhattan courtroom flanked by his lawyers, AFP reports.

What followed was detailed testimony about the sexual encounter Daniels said she had with Trump – his pajamas, his boxer shorts, the sexual position, that he did not wear a condom – all while the former president, sitting just feet away, stared on in silence, stony-faced.

Trump has denied having sex with Daniels, and his defense team sought, unsuccessfully, to have a mistrial declared.

The extraordinary courtroom face-off comes six months before election day when Trump will try to defeat Democratic President Joe Biden.

Daniels walked prosecutors through her difficult childhood in Louisiana, a stint as a stripper and her eventually joining the adult film industry.

The 45-year-old, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe where she was employed as a greeter by X-rated movie company Wicked Entertainment.

Daniels said she was 27 at the time and Trump was “probably older than my father.”

She said a member of Trump’s security detail told her the real estate tycoon wanted to have dinner with her. She was reluctant but agreed after discussing it with her publicist.

When she arrived at the penthouse where Trump was staying he emerged wearing “silk or satin pajamas which I immediately made fun of,” Daniels told the jury.

“I said ‘Does Mr Hefner know you stole his pajamas?’” she said in a reference to the outfit favored by the late Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner.

Trump changed clothes and they began talking about adult movies.

“He was very interested in a lot of the business stuff,” Daniels said.

Trump, who was married at the time to his current wife, Melania, suggested Daniels be on his hit reality television show, “The Apprentice,” she said.

Daniels said she went to the bathroom at one point and when she emerged Trump was on the bed in boxer shorts and a T-shirt.

“It startled me,” she said. “The intention was pretty clear.”

“I was not threatened verbally or physically,” Daniels said, although there was an “imbalance of power.”

She said they had brief sex on the bed “in missionary position” and Trump did not wear a condom.

“I felt ashamed I didn’t stop it, didn’t say no,” Daniels said.

Daniels said she met with Trump again on several occasions but cut off contact when it became clear she would not appear on “The Apprentice.”

After Trump announced his candidacy for president, Daniels said her publicist suggested she could sell her story and put her in touch with Keith Davidson, a Hollywood lawyer who testified previously at the trial.

“My motivation wasn’t money, it was to get the story out,” Daniels said.

She said she entered into a non-disclosure agreement in October 2016 on the eve of the presidential election negotiated by Davidson and Cohen for which she was paid $130,000.

“I couldn’t tell my story, he couldn’t tell the story,” she said.

After a lunch break, Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche asked Judge Juan Merchan to declare a mistrial, objecting to some of Daniels’ testimony, particularly her claim that she was threatened in 2011 by a man in a Las Vegas parking garage who allegedly warned her not to talk about Trump.

“It’s extremely prejudicial to insert safety concerns into a trial about business records,” Blanche said.

Merchan denied the motion, saying “I don’t think we have reached a point where a mistrial is in order.”

Trump is under a partial gag order prohibiting him from publicly attacking witnesses, the jury or court staff.

Merchan has already fined him $10,000 for breaching the gag order and warned Trump he may face jail time for future violations.

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Since prisons were renamed correctional centres, we’ve had more jailbreaks, says Akpabio

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio says since the name of the Nigerian Prison Service was changed to Nigerian Correctional Service there have been more jailbreaks in the country.

Akpabio spoke on the floor of the senate on Tuesday while commenting on two pieces of legislation billed for concurrence.

The bills for concurrence were one to repeal and enact the law establishing Revenue Mobilsation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and another to repeal the Fire Service Act and enact Federal Fire and Rescue Service.

Abba Moro, senate minority leader, argued that there was no need to change the name because the “rescue component” is already part of the responsibility of the fire service.

“I do not think there is a need for that,” Moro said.

In his response, the senate president said there is a need to examine such laws.

“This is something to be looked at. When you are convicted, you are supposed to learn a skill,” Akpabio said.

“But since we changed the name to the correctional centre, there have been more jailbreaks.”

In 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the bill that changed the name of the Nigerian Prison Service to Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

The law provides that the correctional service is split into the custodial service and non-custodial service.

In the non-custodial service, convicts are eligible for community service, probation, and parole.

Since Buhari signed the bill into law, more than 1,000 inmates have escaped from correctional centres across the country.

On April 25, 119 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state, following a downpour.

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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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