News

Clerics To Muslim Faithful: Return Looted Goods In Your Possession For Eid -El – Maulud Celebration Sake

Published

5 years ago

October 29, 2020

Muslim Ummahs who partook in the looting of government and individuals’ properties during the #EndSARS protest have been urged to return all the goods in their possession in the spirit of the Eid – El- Maulud celebration.

Eid – El- Maulud is a celebration by Muslims to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.

Muslim clerics, Ibrahim Oyarekhua, chairman, Edo State Muslim Pilgrims Board, and Nurudeen Asunogie, while making the calls in a telephone interview, said those who participated in the looting could only get the rewards of the celebration if only they return the looted goods in their possessions.

The duo who enjoined Muslim faithful to emulate the virtues of integrity, honesty and piety, as epitomized by the Prophet, further urged non-Muslim involved in the act to also do the same by returning goods in their possessions.

The clerics, while condemning the attack, destruction of public and private institutions’ properties in the country, however called on the government to put in place policies to entrench good governance in the country.

Speaking Ibrahim Oyarekhua, who said the #EndSARS protest started peacefully in the country, condemned the way and manner hoodlums hijacked it.

Oyarekhua, opined that many Nigerians believe that the protest would have been able to unite the country against bad leadership.

“We don’t believe that Muslims would have participated in this unwholesome act, and, if they were, and for some of them to have looted whatever they have looted either small or big, the earlier they return the goods to where they looted them, the better for them.

“If they think nobody, saw them when they looted the goods, it will be a burden on them on the day of judgment.

“Whatever they have looted and if they refused to return them now, God the Almighty will surely request for those things from them on the last day, to account for it and if not, they will be punished.

“Muslims do not take what does not rightly belong to them. If you take what does not belong to you, you must return before you seek for repentance,” he stated.

On his part, Nurudeen Asunogie, said government needs to address the imbalance between the have and the have not in the society.

“I want to remind the Muslim Ummahs that there is absolutely nothing unique about celebrating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PUBH) if we are not going to adorn ourselves on the virtues of integrity, honesty and sacrifice which the prophet epitomizes.

“I think, generally, we need to address the imbalance in the society because the divides is rather too wide between the have and the have not.

“Those who do not have constitute a very terrible and frightening majority. So, they will also drown those who have caused the state resources to coagulate around themselves.

“I also think government should bring about fair distribution of wealth in the country,” he added.

While urging all those involved in the wanton destruction, looting of public and private institutions’ properties in the country to seek for sincere repentance from Allah, he noted that destruction and stealing of other people’s property are aliens to Islam.

Asunogie noted that once a Muslim deviated from the commands of Allah, he or she becomes irrelevant in the scheme of things in this world and in the hereafter.

“Society is created along two lines. These are the evil and good. If you are not a thief there is no way in the first place you would have destroyed and looted government and private property.

“It is crime. If they escape punishment in this world, they will not in the hereafter, except they sincerely repent and return whatever is in their possessions.

“If there is nothing with them, they should seek forgiveness from those who have suffered in the cause of their actions.

“If they do not, on the last day, they will be carrying the burden for which they will regret endlessly because it has no justification under any guise,” he added.

News

Tinubu Approves Portfolios For 5 NCDC Executive Directors

Published

30 minutes ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved portfolios for five executive directors on the board of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).

Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made the announcement in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

The appointees and their portfolios are: Hajiya Biliquis Jumoke- Administration and Human Resources, Mrs Aisha Rufai Ibrahim-Commercial and Industrial Development.

Others are, Mr James Abel Uloko-Corporate Services, Prof. Muhammad Bashar-Finance and Atika Ajanah-Projects.

The president urged the executive directors to work closely with the governing board of the commission to promote and coordinate sustainable development of the North-Central geopolitical zone.”

News

Court Orders Arrest Of 2 Lawyers Over Alleged Forgery, Impersonation

Published

57 minutes ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Apo, on Monday, issued a bench warrant against two lawyers charged with forgery and impersonation.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie made the arrest order following repeated failure of the defendants- Victor Giwa, and Ibitade Bukola- to appear before the court to enter their plea to the charge that was preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police.

In the charge marked: CR/150/25, the duo were accused of conspiring to forge a legal document purportedly issued by the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Prof. Awa U. Kalu, with the intent to mislead the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.

According to the three-count charge, the alleged offence occurred on June 28, 2024.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants forged and signed a letter on the official letterhead of the SAN, requesting the AGF to suspend a scheduled arraignment.

The contentious letter, titled “Urgent and Solemn Appeal to Suspend the Arraignment of Our Colleague Victor Giwa on Charge Number: CR/222/2023”, was allegedly addressed to the AGF.

It allegedly sought intervention of the AGF to halt an arraignment that was scheduled before trial Justice Samira Bature of the high court.

The IGP, in the charge, maintained that the two lawyers committed offences punishable under Section 97, 179 and 364 of the Penal Code Act, 2004.

At the resumed proceeding of the court on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Eristo Asaph, noted that the defence lawyer told the court that the 1st defendant was bereaved, hence his absence for the scheduled arraignment.

The prosecution counsel further noted that it was on the strength of an application by the defendant that the case was adjourned.

He, therefore, wondered why the duo were also absent in court for the case to proceed.

Responding, the defence counsel, Mr. Ogbu Aboje, told the court that the 1st defendant, Giwa, wrote a letter that was accompanied with a medical report dated September 3, indicating that he had a health challenge he described as “Degenerative disorder of the lumber vertebrae,” in addition to his hypertensive condition.

He added that the 2nd defendant equally went to the hospital on Monday morning to keep to a routine appointment for the immunisation of her daughter.

More so, he drew attention of the court to an application the defendants earlier filed to challenge its jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Dissatisfied with the developments, the prosecution counsel urged the court to issue a warrant for the defendants to be arrested y security agencies and produced for their trial.

In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that having listened to both parties, he was minded to accede to the prosecution’s request.

He court stressed that the medical report did indicate that the 1st defendant would not be able to attend court, adding that the 2nd defendant did not adduce any material to justify her absence.

Consequently, relying on the provision of section 266 (2) and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), Justice Onwuegbuzie issued a bench warrant for the defendants to be arrested and produced before the court on October 8.
(VANGUARD)

News

Community Attributes Access Road To Reduction In Maternal Mortality In Bauchi

Published

5 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A cross-section of residents in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State has attributed the reduction in maternal mortality to the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of the Kirjaule–Lame roads.

Mr. Samila Jauro, who spoke on behalf of the community, made the disclosure during a media tour of ongoing Bauchi State projects in the area.

He explained that in the past, no fewer than 50 pregnant women and their babies had lost their lives due to delays in accessing healthcare caused by the poor condition of roads.

“We have lost many of our pregnant women and their unborn babies in the past because of bad roads.

“But the present administration has changed our lives through its infrastructural development,” Jauro said.

While commending the state government, he appealed for the electrification of Kirjauke community.

“We are grateful for the road project, but we still call on the governor to provide us with electricity.

For the past 18 years, we have had no source of power,” he added.

The Bauchi State Government, through the Ministry of Works, in 2023 awarded a 40.5-kilometer road construction and rehabilitation projects in the aforementioned sites.

Speaking on the progress of the projects, the Site Engineer, Mr. Ado Shehu, said the project had reached 75 percent completion.

“The Kirjaule–Lame and Magama–Gumau roads were awarded at the end of November 2023.

“Some portions are already completed, while others are at the second layer and shoulder stage to ensure a successful outcome.

“The duration of the project according to the contract is 36 months.

” But with 75 percent already completed, the project will be finished ahead of schedule,” he said.