Nigerian father has demanded an investigation into the circumstances leading to the death of his 18-year-old son who died after drowning in a Russian River.
Prof Amaechi Ndubueze is the father of 18-year-old medical student, Knowledge Uzochi Ndubueze, who left Nigeria to study medicine in 2018 at Yugoslavia State Medical University.
Ndubueze, an indigene of Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia, reportedly drowned last week.
His father, a lecturer at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU), received a call around 3:30 pm on July 9, informing him of his son’s death.
The bereaved father said: “It was his guardian who stays at St Petersburg: another city different from Yugoslavia State, where the boy was studying that called to inform me about my son’s death. When I asked him what happened, he told me he was not there with him to actually say what happened.
But according to unverified source that spoke to him, the guardian, he learnt that the boy went for a picnic with others at a lake where the boy was said to have drowned and died instantly.”
Ndubueze suspected there could more to his son’s death than reported.
He said: “The news of my son’s death is rather unfortunate becaue we did not hear that he was sick as he has no previous sickness. So we suspect a foul play. We suspect that they are trying to use drowning to cover-up.
“How can someone just call me and say Knowledge Uzochi Ndubueze is dead like that?
“We are pleading with the Federal Executive Council led by President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Orji Uzor Kalu and Theodore Ahamefula to intervene and order investigation into this death as it is rather unfortunate.
“The chairman of Nigeria in Diaspora Commission Mrs. Dabire Abike Erewa, Nigerian Ambassador to Russia and other well meaning Nigerians should come to our help as we are helpless, there is definitely nothing we can do as this incidence is in far away Russia.
“My son’s movement to Russia is through right and appropriate means. He has his papers intact. His passport too and visa were legally processed.
“It was education that took him to Russia. The proper thing is for an investigation to be conducted into the circumstances surrounding his death and those culpable if any made to face the full weight of the law.”
Former Minister of Information, Hon Labaran Maku has lost two of his close relations (niece and nephew).
Report has it that, kidnappers invaded the residence of the elder brother to Hon. Labaran Maku, Former Minister of Information, and Supervisory Minister of Defense, Alhaji Usman Sule Maku in Gudi, the Home Town of Governor of Nasarawa State, in Akwanga local government area of the state, and kidnapped Salihu Usman whose dead body was later found at their backyard and they killed Sa’adatu Usman Maku in their house while they took the wife of the deceased away to an unknown destination.
According to the report made available by the family, Late Miss Sa’adatu was shot by armed bandits in her father’s residence while late Mr. Salisu who is an Immigration officer and his wife were taken away in the night of 14th July 2020, unknown to the family, they buried the remains of their daughter Sa’adatu according to Islamic rites in the morning of 15th July 2020, only to discover later, the body of Salisu Maku in the farm behind the house.
When contacted, Comptroller of Immigration in Nasarawa State, Zainab Lawal confirmed the incident though at the time of her confirmation the body of the officer was not found yet.
“A Nigeria Immigration Officer, Supritendent Salisu Usman and his wife were abducted at gun point and his sister was shot dead by the gunmen suspected to be kidnappers,” she said.
Attempts to get the reaction of the police in the state proved abortive as the Police spokesman, ASP Ramhan Nansel could not be reached at the time of filing in this report.
Late Sa’adatu Usman Maku, a graduate of Pharmacy at ABU Zaria waiting for her one year service, while Salisu Usman Maku, a Senior Officer with the Nigeria Immigration Service.
Alh. Usman Sule Maku the father of the two children is a retired Police Officer who served in the former Plateau State and retired to settle at Gudi Station.
The suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has written to the Justice Ayo Salami-led presidential panel to debunk allegations published in some media platforms during his detention.
The suspended EFCC boss was arrested on July 6 and has been facing the presidential panel where he is being interrogated on allegations of fraud leveled against him by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. He was granted bail from detention on Wednesday, July 15 after 10 days.
In a letter signed and released by his counsel, Wahab Shittu, Magu maintained his innocence, claiming that the allegations of corruption as published in the media were fabricated and aimed at tarnishing his image and rubbish the credibility and image of EFCC.
In the letter, Magu denied ownership of any property in Dubai and also denied reports that some dollars and expensive jewelries and wristwatches were found in his house during a raid by security operatives. He also denied reports of ever offering money to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and frontline lawyer, Femi Falana.
Read the letter below
THE CHAIRMAN, The Presidential Investigation Committee On The Alleged Mismanagement Of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Federal Government Recovered Assets and Finances From May 2015 to May 2020.
Attention: Hon Justice Isa Ayo Salami (Rtd) Gentlemen:
PUBLICATIONS PREJUDICIAL TO THE PROCEEDINGS OF THIS HONOURABLE PANEL
We act as Counsel of Choice to Mr Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, the suspended Acting Chairman of the EFCC hereinafter referred to as “Our Client” and on whose behalf and specific instructions we write as follows: This is a follow-up to our letter dated 10th July, 2020 on behalf of our client.
Please be advised that the attention of our client has been drawn to serial falsehood publications in the media in respect of matters which never featured in the proceedings of this Honourable Panel. These falsehood publications being orchestrated in the media include the following:
1. NFIU SUBMITS REPORT ON MAGU’S FOREX TRANSACTIONS TO PANEL (SEE THE PUNCH OF TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020) This report was published in The PUNCH on Tuesday July 14, 2020. Our client states categorically that he has not been confronted on alleged illegal transactions and no such report was tendered by NFIU in any proceedings before this panel involving him till date. Our client states categorically that the maximum forex transactions he has been involved in is the sum of $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars) till date. Our client also wishes to place on record that he has no link with Kaduna-based Bureau De Change Operator as erroneously reported in the publication.
2. ALLEGED N573 MILLION NAIRA DUBAI PROPERTY LINKED TO MAGU This allegation is outright falsehood and is denied by our client in unmistakable terms. It is instructive to state that the General Overseer of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries, Prophet Emmanuel Omale, in a pre-litigation letter addressed to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday 13th July, 2020, denied the allegations that he bought a property in Dubai worth N573 million on behalf of our client. Our client challenges his accusers to provide details of such property and proof of ownership by our client. Instructively, The PUNCH at Page 8 of Tuesday July 14th, 2020 had published the denial of Prophet Emmanuel Omale to set the record straight.
3. ALLEGED DIVERSION OF INTEREST ON RECOVERED FUNDS (SUNDAY PUNCH EDITION OF 12TH JULY, 2020) This Publication on Front Page of Sunday Punch Edition of 12th of July, 20320 is outright falsehood. Our client states that all recovered funds are lodged with TSA Account with Central Bank of Nigeria. It is elementary that funds in TSA Account lodged with CBN do not generate interest. It is therefore falsehood to publish that our client placed N500 billion (Five Hundred and Fifty Billion) recovered loot into deposit account. The alleged transaction never featured in the proceedings before this Honourable Panel. Our client was never confronted with any such allegation in the proceedings before this panel and the news is blatant falsehood.
4. DAY 6: PANEL QUIZZES MAGU ON N700 MILLION TRAINING FUND (VANGUARD, TUESDAY 14TH JULY, 2020) The allegation that this Panel requested our client to account for the sum of N700 million meant for the commission’s operatives is not true. Our client has not been confronted with such allegation by this Honourable Panel. Our client does not disburse any such funds in the EFCC. The immediate Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) summoned by the Panel must have furnished details on this as the custodian of the funds. Our client denies this allegation completely. Funds earmarked for training was properly utilised by the Commission. The DFA and the Director of Audit will explain the utilisation of the funds meant for training with supporting documentations.
5. ALLEGED BID TO SPIRIT MAGU AWAY BUSTED (VANGUARD, JULY 14TH 2020 PG. 5) The allegation that there were plans by some associates of our client to spirit him out of detention as published above is complete fabrication. Since our client has been in detention Nine (9) days ago, he has cooperated maximally with Law Enforcement Agents. Our client is only allowed very few restricted and fully screened visitors. No such incident took place as reported and this is an attempt to bring our client on collision course with the authorities he respects enormously. Our client, as a commissioner of police, will never escape from custody as he remains innocent and a patriotic citizen.
6. SALAMI PANEL GRILLS MAGU, EFCC DIRECTORS AGAIN (DAILY TRUST, TUESDAY 14TH JULY, 2020 PG. 3) The allegation that our client was grilled by the Panel on Monday, 13th July, 2020 as reported above is complete falsehood. The correct position was that our client and his Counsel (Mr. Wahab Shittu) arrived the venue of the ongoing Investigations on Monday 13th July, 2020 by 9am. Our client and his Counsel were kept at the waiting room of the venue of the sittings unattended to from 9am to 9pm when our client was taken back to custody. This followed the same pattern on Thursday and Friday last week when our client waited for 12 hours without being called upon by the Panel to partake in the proceedings. Witnesses called by the Panel were interrogated by the Panel without the participation of our client or his Counsel in the proceedings. This was also the pattern on Tuesday, 14th July, 2020. Our client chose to wait patiently on the panel.
7. ALLEGED PAYMENT OF N4 BILLION TO PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO SAN, GCON, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA Our client strongly denies this falsehood against the respected Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our client has never given the sum of N4billion or any sum at all to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON, Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria as wrongly reported. This allegation is complete falsehood designed to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the Vice President and our client.
8. ALLEGED PAYMENT OF N28 MILLION TO FEMI FALANA SAN This allegation is complete fabrication. Our client never gave N28 million or any amount to Mr Femi Falana SAN as maliciously reported. Our client also denies any link with a Kaduna-based Bureau De Change Operator as alleged.
9. SEARCH OF OUR CLIENT’S HOUSE – NO INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE FOUND Our client confirms that his House was searched last Monday in his absence while in custody, but no incriminating evidence was found. It is untrue as reported that some dollars and expensive jewelries and wrist watches were found. Our client states that the search into his house did not reveal any incriminating evidence or materials. The cars removed from his residence were official vehicles assigned to our client as acting Chairman of EFCC.
10. DENIAL OF COPIES OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST OUR CLIENT Our client is spending the 9th day in custody without being given copy of the allegations against him to enable him formally respond to same. Our client is ready to formally respond to allegations and furnish documentary evidence in support if served with the copy of the allegations. Our client respectfully demands the following: a) A copy of the report of the Presidential Audit Committee b) A copy of the memo of HAGF to the President on our client c) Individual Petitions submitted to the Panel against our client.
Our client observes that rather being afforded copies of the allegations against him, some of these allegations are flying round on Social Media platforms with prejudicial consequences. Our client requests that these allegations be formally served on him to enable him respond to same immediately. Our client observes that the Panel has issued official statement to the effect that it did not authorise the detention of our client. We request the Panel to recommend to the Inspector General of Police in whose custody our client is to release him from custody to enable him adequately prepare his defence and attend to his failing health. We plead with the authorities to release our client from custody.
11. QUESTIONS OVER ALLEGED N5BILLION ELECTION FUND (VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020) Our client denies receiving from INEC or anybody the sum of N5billion Election Fund as maliciously reported above. Our client has never been confronted with the alleged N5billion Election Fund by this Panel. This outrageous sum quoted above is outright falsehood. Funds released by INEC to EFCC were disbursed directly to the beneficiaries who participated in the electoral process. This information can be verified from the INEC Chair, the Director of Finance and Administration EFCC and Director of Audit respectively. Our client has absolutely nothing to do with the sum disbursed as Electoral Fund and never benefitted from the disbursement. The story is complete fabrication designed to tarnish the image of our client.
12. ALLEGED FAILURE TO SUBMIT EFCC AUDITED ACCOUNTS FOR FOUR (4) YEARS (THISDAY, MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020). This publication above is complete fabrication. The truth is that EFCC under our client’s watch is not in arrears on the submission of Audited Accounts. EFCC has complied in the submission of Audited Accounts for four years running. The Audited Account for 2020 will be due statutorily for submission in September, 2020 by virtue of Section 37 of the EFCC Act, 2004.
13. DSS, POLICE GO AFTER NFIU OFFICE BURGLARS (DAILY SUN, MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020). Our client denies any link in the alleged burgling of the office of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), located at No 12, Ibrahim Taiwo Street, Aso Villa. Our client has no link with the Kaduna-based Bureau De Change (BDC) as reported. Our client states that an attempt to link him with the burglary or the Bureau De Change is a cheap blackmail. Our Client calls for investigation to unravel the truth.
14. SUSPENDED EFCC BOSS ALLEGEDLY QUERIED OVER 322 RECOVERED PROPERTIES DAILY SUN JULY 13TH, 2020 It is untrue that this Honourable Panel queried our client over 322 recovered properties. In the interrogation of our client so far this has never featured even if the head of Assets Forfeiture of the EFCC has appeared before the Penal. Our client has also not been given a copy of the report of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets (PCARA). This publication is complete fabrication. The truth is that EFCC under our client’s watch is ready to respond to this allegation if obliged a copy of PCARA. There has been no mismanagement of and certainly, there is no lack of transparency in the management of recovered assets under the leadership of our client. Our client’s detailed explanations are as follows:
SEIZED PROPERTIES ALLEGEDLY CORNERED BY TOP EFCC OFFICIALS, MAGU’S FRIENDS – PANEL (THE PUNCH, JULY 13TH, 2020) The above publication is outright falsehood. Our client requests answers to the following:
a) Who are the EFCC officials who cornered the properties? b) What specific properties were cornered? And by who? c) Who were these Magu’s friends who cornered these properties? Our client insists that these imputations attributed to the Panel are outright falsehood. Our client states that these allegations never featured in the proceedings of the panel.
16. GENERAL COMMENTS The charges against our client are trumped-up allegations designed to tarnish his image and rubbish the credibility and image of EFCC which has been Stellar and outstanding under our client’s watch.
Based on the above circumstances, our client was not given adequate time and facilities for his defence and his demand for a copy of the allegations against him has not been honoured till date. We appeal to the Honourable Panel to consider the above and uphold the Fundamental Rights to fair hearing of our client. Kindly find attached, copies of these newspapers for ease of reference. Please accept our best Professional Regards.
Black market hawkers or retailers of fuel, kerosene, gas and other petroleum products are found in every nook and cranny of towns in Nigeria though they tend to be found more in the oil producing states. They trade in jerrycans, drums, and tanks, and are steadily patronised by commercial vehicle operators popularly known as keke and okada, as well as the regular taxi drivers, some private motorists and other individuals who buy for household uses.
This article establishes that selling of fuel or any other petroleum products, without license, is a criminal offence and since to every general rule there are exceptions, the article explained various circumstances that one may escape liability and punishment.
THE OFFENCE OF SELLING PETROLEUM PRODUCTS WITHOUT LICENSE
The meaning of “Petroleum products” is the meaning given to it by the petroleum Act Cap. P10, LFN, 2004 under section 15 thereof to include “motor spirit (popularly known as petrol), gas oil, diesel oil, automotive gas oil, fuel oil, aviation fuel, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gases and any lubrication oil or grease or other lubricant.”
The requirement of the law is that those selling Petroleum products must have licence from appropriate authorities before venturing into the business. Doing that without license is impermissible, illegal and criminal.
Other actions that can render one liable to punishment include offer to sale; distribution; importation; exportation; or otherwise dealing with any of the above petroleum products. The offence extends to doing any act for which a licence is required under the Petroleum Act. See section 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, LFN, 2004
Section 4(1) and (6) of the Petroleum Act make similar provision. It criminalize importing; storing; selling; or distributing any petroleum product in Nigeria without licence
That is why in the case of Nomany V FRN (2018) LPELR-44546(CA), the Appellant was convicted for storing 3,423.097 metric tons of crude oil. The Appellant in the case of Shahinul V FRN (2018) LPELR-44528(CA) was also convicted for the same reason.
It should be noted that even as a transporter, you will be liable if the petroleum product you are transporting belongs to a third party who does not have a license. This was emphasized in the case of Hepa Global Energy Ltd v FRN (2017) LPELR-44033(CA). In this case the Appellant vessel owner argued that the petroleum product it was transporting belonged to a third party so they ought not to be liable. The court rejected the argument and held that the most important thing is possession, not ownership. Since the actual owner did not have license, they must be liable.
I agree with my Noble Lords in the case of Hepa Global Energy Ltd v FRN (supra). The decision accords with common sense and the law regarding “willful blindness”.
It is submitted that a person in charge of any means of conveyance (be it car, vessel etc), one is expected to take reasonable steps to not only know what you are carrying, but the legitimacy of it. You cannot be heard to give excuse that you didn’t know that what you were carrying is illegal. In the case under discourse the company should have taken steps to verify if the owner of the Petroleum Product had license.
This writer further submits that dealing with petroleum products without licence is a strict liability offence. The physical presence of a petroleum product on one’s possession or custody effectively discharges the need for proof of mens rea on the part of the accused persons. See M. V. Island V FRN (2018) LPELR-43479 (CA) and the decision of Ikyegh, J.C.A in Hepa Global Energy Ltd V FRN (supra) where he held thus:
“Statutory provisions dealing with unlawful possession of product or substance and/or without licence or lawful authority wear the toga of strict liability. Once a person is found in possession of the controlled product or substance or the prosecution has proved possession the onus shifts to the person found in possession of the product or substance to justify his possession.”
See also the proviso to Section 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution, Section 139 (1) of the Evidence Act and NIGERIA AIR FORCE V KAMADEEN (2007) ALL FWLR (PT 367) 1676.
WHEN ONE CAN BE EXCUSED FOR DEALING WITH PETROLEUM PRODUCT WITHOUT LICENSE
There is only a maximum quantity of 500 litres specified in the law beyond which storage becomes an offence. In other words, if the petroleum product that one possesses is not above 500 litres, it would be lawful to store or sell them without license. See Sub section (2) of Section 4 of the Petroleum Act.
The minister can also grant an exemption pursuant to Section 4 of the Petroleum Act.
Furthermore, if one is just a passenger in a car or any other means of conveyance that is transporting the petroleum product, liability will not arise. See Abass V FRN (2018) LPELR-43695(CA). This position also accords with common sense. It will be highly illogical to hold a passenger who has no business or link with the petroleum product being carried.
In affinity to the above position, and of course to create a balance, the law says if a person on board has link with either the product being conveyed or the car/vessel carrying the product, then the person will be liable. In Normany V FRN (supra), the Appellant was merely on board the vessel as an engineer. The court held that by such, he could be liable for conspiracy since he was hired to take care of the vessel. The court added that he could have been aware of the unlawful carriage of the Petroleum Product without license.
Another instance when one cannot be liable is when one carries or possesses the product as an agent of someone who has a license. In Danjuma V FRN (2018) LPELR-45194(CA), the Appellant was caught with 33000 litres of petrol and thereby convicted. The conviction was set aside on appeal on the basis that the Appellant carried the product as an agent of someone who had the license.
Similar thing happened in Ogbagbe v FRN (2018) LPELR-45240(CA) and the conviction of the Appellant was set aside.
The last two decisions also accord with the agency jurisprudence which absolves an agent from liability. The principal is always presumed to be the one acting unless the agent acts outside the scope of his duties.
PUNISHMENT FOR THE OFFENCE
The penalty for dealing in Petroleum Product depends on the law a person is charged under. Section 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act provides maximum sentence of life in prison and the forfeiture of the mode of transportation of the product.
Section 4 of the Petroleum Act on the other hand provides maximum sentence of 2 years in prison or a fine of N2,000 or both as well as the forfeiture of the petroleum product.
It follows therefore that what is common to both laws is forfeiture. But even at that, Miscellaneous Offences Act provides for forfeiture of the means of transportation only while Petroleum Act provides for forfeiture of the Petroleum Product. In Hepa Global Energy Ltd V. FRN (supra), the monies in the account of the company were forfeited. In M. V. LONG ISLAND V. FRN (2018) LPELR-43479 (CA) the vessel that carried the Petroleum Product was forfeited.
In view of the foregoing, it is suggested that a prosecutor should charge suspects under both laws if he wants the forfeiture of both the means of conveyance and the product being conveyed
CONCLUDING REMARKS
As rightly observed by Olalere, Adefarati and Matthew (all of S. P. Ajibade & Co), Petroleum and its allied resources play a prominent role in the economic well-being and stability of Nigeria as a country. They constitute the highest source of revenue of the country.
It is unfortunate however that Nigeria has suffered from oil theft, pipeline vandalism, militancy in the oil producing states and allied nefarious activities resulting in the country’s loss of revenue, lack of stable and sustainable power supply for the country’s development, inflation, etc., hence the need to enact and enforce adequate laws that will regulate its production, distribution and transportation.
The Law is also necessary because most black market fuel dealers allegedly source the products from illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalization. Indeed, information is in the cyberspace that many petrol stations also source their petroleum products mainly through illegal bunkering as they pay less at the point of purchase.
Tanker drivers are said to be complicit in the entire illegal process of fuel dealing. They aid and abet the illegal sale of fuel through diversion of the product to hawkers. Some tankers don’t discharge their content completely to their designated petrol stations and the undischarged product is instead sold to the black market dealers.
The Law is therefore commendable and would help a lot in curbing the foregoing nefarious activities relating to petroleum products.
Let me lend my voice to Olalere, Adefarati and Matthew in suggesting that the stakeholders in the upstream, downstream, or midstream of the Nigerian Petroleum industry, who always require one licence or the other or DPR Consent, should ensure that all appropriate consents and licenses are obtained to avoid unpleasant experience. Black market hawkers should also take note
Ibrahim Magu, the suspended Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who has been in detention since he was arrested and hauled before a presidential panel probing his stewardship at the anti-graft agency has regained his freedom.
Magu has been detained in a police facility in Abuja from where he was taken before the panel investigating his activities every morning to answer questions.
His lawyer had written Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector General of Police last Friday asking for bail for him.
However, Magu was released on Wednesday evening and it was not certain if his release has anything to do with his lawyers’ letter.
He was arrested last week Monday and has been detained by the police since then.
Tolulope Arotile, the first female helicopter pilot in the history of the Nigerian Air Force has died 8 months after she was given a special recognition.
Arotile who was decorated alongside Kafayat Sanni, the first female fighter pilot, by Sadique Abubakar, chief of air staff diedOn Tuesday July 14, as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at the Nigerian Air Force base in Kaduna state.
The military officer who had just ended a programme at the Starlite International Training Academy in South Africa, did not recover from the injuries sustained in the accident.
A statement released by the Nigerian Air Force read;
“It is with great sorrow that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) regretfully announces the unfortunate demise of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, who died today, 14 July 2020, as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at NAF Base Kaduna.
“Until her death, ?Flying Officer Arotile, who was commissioned into the NAF in September 2017 as a member of Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64, was the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Service.? During her short but impactful stay in the Service, late Arotile, who hailed from Iffe in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, contributed significantly to the efforts to rid the North Central States of armed bandits and other criminal elements by flying several combat missions under Operation GAMA AIKI in Minna, Niger State.
“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on behalf of officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the NAF, commiserates with the family of late ?Flying Officer Arotile? over this irreparable loss. We pray that the Almighty God grants her soul eternal rest.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered on Monday that all counties in the state must shut down until further notice due to the increase of Covid-19 cases.
Also for the past few days, California hospitals have reported an increase in the number of new coronavirus patients, growing 28% over a two-week period, and many of the hospitals were almost at maximum capacity. Just Sunday there were 6,485 people hospitalized.
California shutting down until further notice because of coronavirus
California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all business to close until further notice and he is urging people to wear face masks as many are going outside without one. “Wearing a face covering is critical for keeping people safe and healthy, keeping businesses open and getting people back to work. Do your part and wear a mask,” tweeted Newsom on Monday.https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html?n=0
The following businesses have to stop all operations in 30 counties of California, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange counties.
Restaurants
Wineries
Movie theaters, family entertainment
Zoos, museums
Cardrooms
Bars must close ALL operations
Fitness Centers
Places of worship
Offices for Non-Critical Sectors
Personal care services
Hair salons and barbershops
Malls
Earlier on Monday, Los Angeles School District and San Diego Unified issued a joint statement announcing that they will begin the fall school year online as they continue to find the best solution for everyone involved amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The body of Pathao Co-Founder Fahim Saleh has been found at his apartment in New York.
Members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) found his body in his condo around 3:30pm (New York time) on Tuesday, reports The New York Post.
Sources described the killing as an apparent targeted murder.
Fahim, 33, was last seen on surveillance footage on Monday afternoon around 1:40pm, when he entered his building’s elevator, which opens right out to his seventh-floor apartment, the report said.
The limbless, headless torso of the millionaire tech entrepreneur was found with an electric saw lying next to the remains, police said.
Police made the grisly discovery in a building on E Houston St at Suffolk St. on the Lower East side at about 3:30pm, reports New York Daily News.
Fahim bought the condo for $2.25 million last year. He was a website developer turned venture capital and was also the CEO of a motorcycle-sharing company in Lagos, Nigeria called Gokada
The NYPD went to the seventh-floor condo after the victim’s sister called 911 because she had not seen her brother in a day, then discovered his dismembered corpse, the report added.
The surveillance footage showed Fahim getting into the elevator on Monday, followed quickly by a second man, dressed in a suit, wearing gloves, a hat and a mask over his face.
After he walked out onto his floor, he fell immediately, possibly shot or stunned, the report also said.
Fahim started Gokada, a motorcycle ride-sharing company in Lagos, but the company faced setbacks and mass layoffs after Lagos banned the company in January.
“He was extremely smart, ambitious, very kind,” a friend of Fahimh said. “Always smiling.”
Two of Fahim’s friends described him as a self-made millionaire who brought tech companies into nations like Nigeria and Indonesia, an energetic person who loved gadgets and video games.
“It is shocking. It is gruesome,” a resident of the building Jason Rivera, 45, told The Post. “What could possibly be going through someone’s mind to decapitate him? Pure evilness.”
No further details were immediately available.
Fahim, a Bentley University alumnus, co-founded Pathao together with Hussain M Elius and Shifat Adnan in 2015.
He was a computer science and engineering (CSE) graduate. His father Saleh Uddin is from Chittagong in India .
Finally, the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2019 has passed Second Reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill which was sponsored by Rep. Olawale Raji (APC, Lagos), seeks to amend the Electoral Act, 2010, to Prohibit Electoral Officers from engaging in Partisan Politics within five (5) years of Retirement, Resignation and Official Relief of Duties and Other Related Matters.
According to the lawmaker, .the amendment of the Electoral act, checkmates the loophole in the principal act, “which will in turn strengthen our democratic culture,” he said
Raji in his lead debate in support of the amendment of the bill argued that Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended provides that every Nigerian is free to belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his/her interest.
“The import of the above provision is to the effect that every Nigerian adult has the inherent/Constitutional right to participate freely during an election and cannot be disenfranchising unduly.
“However, by virtue of Section 45 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it provides that nothing in Section 40 of the Constitution shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society, with respect to the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health, or for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons.
“The import of the above is to the effect that the provisions of section 40 of the Constitution will not invalidate any law of the National Assembly that is tailored towards the protection of public order and morality. In the light of the above,
“I submit that the level of information available to a National Electoral Commissioner and the Resident Electoral Commissioner respectively, during their period of service as electoral staff, of which the general public is not privy to especially the methods and the procedures on how elections are conducted…
“It has become imperative to restrict them from taking part in aspiring for elective positions in government for a period of at least five (5) years of their disengagement from the commission.”
He said the amendment is to ensure that such officer has lost touch with recent happening in the Electoral commission. And that the act is additionally tailored towards the protection of the integrity of the electoral body and elections at large.
“It is also a way to build the confidence of the electorate towards the activities and affairs of the commission.
“By isolating these officers from engaging in active politics, this amendment will prevent any possible abuse of office or using a position once occupied to gain undue advantage during an election.”
The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has expressed fear that the cancellation of this year’s West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) may promote criminality.
Babalola described the decision as not only ill-conceived but posed a dangerous threat to the lives of the country’s future leaders, adding that the destinies of 1.5 million students, who registered for the external examination was hanging in the balance with the withdrawal of Nigeria from the external examination.
He said it was wrong for the Federal Government to have taken such unilateral decision due to the fear of Covid-19, when other participating nations have not withdrawn their students from sitting for the external examination.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, had last week announced the Federal government’s intention to withdraw Nigeria’s candidates from the examination due to the hazard posed by the spread of COVID-19.
In a statement personally signed in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday and made available to journalists, the legal icon said the federal government should allow the WASSCE to hold in the empty spaces in the tertiary institutions which can accommodate 1.5 million registered students without defying Covid-19 protocols.
Speaking on the withdrawal, which he said was not well thought -out, the legal luminary said: “It is my firm belief that the future of these 1.5 million young Nigerians who have registered for WAEC should not be put in jeopardy. It is a well-known fact that all schools, colleges and tertiary institutions in the country are currently shut down.
“This affords the Federal Government the opportunity to use them for WAEC examination. What the government should do is to prepare the empty rooms for WAEC examination – fumigate the halls and the premises, use face mask, provide sanitizers and ensure that WHO rules are obeyed to the letter.
“WAEC Law provides for a National Committee of WAEC in all the five countries. With that at the back of our minds, one would have expected that this matter should have been taken up by the National Committee of WAEC in Nigeria and the general body in Ghana before the declaration to withdrawal Nigeria from taking the examination”
The University’s administrator wondered why Nigeria had taken such hasty decision, when other four countries under the WAEC umbrella have not cancelled the WASSCE in their respective countries.
“Are the other four countries not affected by Covid-19? What steps have the other countries taken which would enable them to take WEAC examination which we cannot take? Why is Nigeria the only country out of five that is pulling out of the annual examination? Are we saying that other four countries do not appreciate the lives of their students?
“Why was the issue not turned over to the Nigeria body of WAEC or the general body of WAEC in Accra before the declaration of withdrawal to Nigeria? Did the Hon. Minister take into consideration the moral and legal implication of Nigeria as a signatory to WAEC laws or the effect of such unilateral declaration of withdrawal?”
He said what was required to take the examination is proper management, consultation and discussion instead of unilateral cancellation of annual international convention.
“If the Federal Government insists that there would be no WASSCE this year, the students are not just losing one calendar year but losing an integral part of their entire lives which is gone forever by such declaration. We should always remember that after all, time is life and life is time
The Federal Government should allow the WASSCE to take place in the empty spaces which are wasting away in our tertiary institutions, secondary schools and elementary school which can conveniently accommodate them with a lot of social distancing and due compliance with WHO rules.”
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