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Lawyer Petitions IGP Over Detention Of Edo Cleric

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A human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has condemned the “illegal arrest and continued detention” of the founder of Peniel of God’s Power International Ministries in Benin, Edo State, Apostle Kassy Cbukwu, by the Nigeria Police Force, on the instigation of one Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin.

The cleric was said to have been arrested by the police on May 6, 2022, and released the next day, after Prophet Fufeyin, who is the founder of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry, Warri, Delta State, claimed that he was defamed by Apostle Kassy’s Facebook comments.

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He was rearrested on July 6, 2022, by the International Criminal Police Organisation and detained in the custody of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Abuja, where he was taken to, from Benin.

READ ALSO: How Terrorists Received N800 Million Ransom To Free 7 Train Passengers

But Effiong, in his petition to the Inspector-General of Police, titled “Illegal detention of Apostle Kassy Chukwu by the police on instigation of prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin,” dated July 11,2022, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent in Uyo on Tuesday, called on the IGP to direct immediate release of Apostle Kassy.

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He stated that irrespective of the allegations, the police had once again allowed itself to be used as a tool of oppression and attainment of personal vendetta by an influential member of the society who represented himself as “a man of God”.

Part of the petition read, “My attention has been drawn to the arrest and continued detention of one Apostle Kassy Chukwu, the founder of Peniel of God’s Power International Ministries situated in Benin, Edo State, by the Nigeria Police Force on the instigation of one Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin, the founder of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry, Warri, Delta State.

“The arrest and detention of Apostle Kassy is based on a complaint by Prophet Jeremiah to the police. He claims that he was defamed by Apostle Kassy in comments he purportedly made on Facebook.

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“Irrespective of the allegations made against Apostle Kassy, it is unacceptable that the police has once again allowed itself to be used as a tool of oppression and attainment of personal vendetta by an influential member of the society who represents himself as “a man of God”.

“On Sunday, July 10, 2022, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, went to the FCIID in Abuja and sought to see Apostle Kassy but was flagrantly denied access to him. He was also not allowed to give him the food that he bought for him.

“Every suspect in custody has a right to visitation. Every person is presumed to be innocent until he is proven guilty as provided for in Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution.

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“The continued detention of Apostle Kassy is a blatant violation of his fundamental right to personal liberty as enshrined in Section 35 of the Constitution. The police should know that there is a price to pay for impunity and violation of the rights of citizens.

“It is scandalous that the INTERPOL, a body which is established to curtail serious international crimes, has been thoroughly abused in Nigeria and is being deployed by every Tom, Dick and Harry to settle personal scores. This is reprehensible and condemnable.

“No court in Nigeria, to the best of my knowledge, has issued a warrant for the arrest and detention of Apostle Kassy. It is shameful that despite persistent demands by Nigerians for the reform of the police, the rot, culture of human right abuses and endemic lawlessness in the Force is getting worse by the day.

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READ ALSO: Presidency Tough, I’m Eager To Go – Buhari

“One wonders why Prophet Jeremiah has not filed a civil suit against Apsotle Kassy for defamation in a competent court of law, but prefers to use the instrumentality of the police to witch hunt him.

“I call on the IGP to direct the immediate release of Apostle Kassy and cause investigation to be carried out into the abuse of police powers in this case.

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“We cannot continue to condone the vicious weaponisation of the police for sinister purposes by individuals who feel they have money to throw around.”

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FG Predicts Heavy Rainfall, Flood In Seven States

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The Federal Ministry of Environment on Saturday predicted possible flooding in seven states and 25 locations across Nigeria.

The ministry, in its flood alert warned that heavy rainfall expected between August 23 and 24 could lead to flooding in the listed areas.

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The alert was signed by the Director of the Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department, Usman Bokani.

He further directed residents of communities along the flood plain from Jebba to Lokoja to evacuate immediately as the River Niger’s water level continues to rise.

READ ALSO:NiMet Predicts 3-day Thunderstorms, Rains

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Due to the rise in the water level of River Niger, communities on the flood plain from Jebba to Lokoja are advised to evacuate,” he said.

The states and communities expected to be affected include Benue State (Abinsi, Agyo, Gbajimba, Gogo, Makurdi, Mbapa, Otobi, Otukpo, Udoma, Ukpiam); Borno State (Briyel, Dikwa, MaiduKamba; Gombe State (Bajoga, Dogon Ruwa, Gombe, Nafada); Kebbi State (Gwandu, Jega, Kamba); Nasarawa State (Agima, Keana, Keffi, Odogbo, Rukubi); Niger State (Lapai); and Yobe State (Gashua, Gasma, Potiskum).

On Friday, the National Emergency Management Agency urged residents in high-risk flood plains to evacuate to safer and higher grounds.

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READ ALSO:Again, NiMet Predicts Three-day Thunderstorms, Rain From Saturday

The states at high risk according to the agency are Kebbi, Niger, Kwara states that share borders with Benin Republic.

This was disclosed in a press statement signed by the agency’s Head of Press Unit, Manzo Ezekiel.

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The Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, also directed all NEMA offices covering communities along the River Niger to intensify advocacy and mobilization for flood preparedness following alerts of rising water levels in the upstream of the river in the Republic of Benin.

READ ALSO:NiMet Predicts 3-day Rains, Thunderstorms Across Nigeria From Sunday

In an urgent directive conveyed to the operations offices, Mrs. Zubaida Umar instructed them to sensitize communities to remain vigilant and advise residents in high-risk flood plains to evacuate to safer, higher grounds, especially those in Kebbi, Niger and Kwara states that share borders with Benin Republic.

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“She further urged the State Governments of the identified high-risk areas to support their Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) in activating contingency plans and preparedness measures to mitigate the potential impact of this year’s flooding.

“The Director General reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to ensuring coordinated actions to safeguard lives and livelihoods along the River Niger,” the statement noted.

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‘Court Of Corruption’ — Obasanjo Knocks INEC Chairman, Judiciary In New Book

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised the Nigerian judiciary, saying it has been “deeply compromised” and that corruption among judges has turned courts into “a court of corruption rather than a court of justice.”

In his new book, Nigeria: Past and Future, Obasanjo laments the steady decline of the Nigerian judiciary’s integrity, warning that justice has become commodified in Nigeria.

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“The reputation of the Nigerian judiciary has steadily gone down from the four eras up till today. The rapidity of the precipitous fall, particularly in the Fourth Republic, is lamentable,” Obasanjo wrote.

He expressed concern that the judiciary’s decline poses a significant threat to the nation’s stability.

READ ALSO:EFCC Raids Obasanjo’s Hotel, Arrests Suspected Internet Fraudsters At Pool Party

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Obasanjo recounted an incident where a governor showed him six duplex buildings belonging to a judge who allegedly acquired them from money made as chairman of election tribunals. This anecdote, he said, illustrates the depth of corruption in the judiciary.

The former president also accused Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, of undermining the electoral process since 2015.

“No wonder politicians do not put much confidence in an election which the INEC of Professor Mahmood Yakubu polluted and grossly undermined to make a charade,” he said.

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Obasanjo further alleged that politicians believe the outcome of election disputes depends on the will of tribunal judges, court of appeal judges, and supreme court judges.

READ ALSO:Obasanjo Blames Loss Of Values For Democracy’s Failure In Africa

No matter what the will of the people may be, the Chairman of INEC since after the 2015 election had made his will greater and more important than the will of the people,” he added.

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Moreover, Obasanjo directly accused the late former President Muhammadu Buhari of colluding with the judiciary during his election cases.

Buhari threw caution to the wind, no matter what had transpired between him and the judges who did his bidding. In his election cases, financially, he topped it up with appointments for them no matter their age and their ranks,” Obasanjo alleged.

The former president concluded that the current state of the judiciary and electoral system in Nigeria is alarming, saying, “After a false declaration of results, making losers winners and winners losers, the victim of the cheating is advised to go to court, which is a court of corruption rather than a court of justice.“

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Sanwo-Olu Unveils Leather Hub, Eyes 10,000 Jobs

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Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday inaugurated a state-of-the-art leather processing and manufacturing hub in Mushin, projected to create 10,000 direct jobs and generate over $250 million in annual export turnover when fully operational.

In a press release sent to PUNCH Online, the governor said the facility was formally inaugurated on Saturday by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during her three-day official visit to Lagos.

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He added that the hub was named in her honour to recognise her grassroots initiatives in social investment and economic empowerment, with 70 per cent of its employment slots reserved for women and youths.

The hub is equipped with modern machinery to support Nano, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (NMSMEs), enabling mass production of shoes, bags, belts, packaging materials, and other leather products.

READ ALSO:I Will Snub Gov Sanwo-Olu Again – Mr Macaroni

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It is designed to ease production bottlenecks, scale operations, and position Lagos as the leather logistics capital of West Africa.

Speaking at the inauguration, Tinubu described the hub as a “trailblazing project” aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to diversify Nigeria’s economy through industrialisation, manufacturing, and innovation.

The Lagos State Leather Hub in Mushin, formally commissioned by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday, 23 August 2025.
Leatherwork is a traditional craft that has stood the test of time. This facility will empower artisans, scale up leather goods production, and enable them to compete confidently in both local and international markets,” she said, urging entrepreneurs to dedicate themselves to excellence and continuous learning.

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Sanwo-Olu said the project would provide training and start-up support to over 150,000 artisans, boost the local economy, attract investments, and strengthen trade links with fashion districts, e-commerce platforms, and future rail services.

READ ALSO:Sanwo-Olu Unveils Bus Terminal, Slashes Red Line Fares By 30%

“Hides and skins that once left our shores unprocessed will now be transformed here in Lagos into world-class footwear, garments, and accessories proudly stamped ‘Made in Lagos, Made in Nigeria’,” the governor said.

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He pledged to expand the facility through transparent regulation and continuous infrastructure upgrades, adding: “True dividends of democracy are best felt when they reach the cobbler in Mushin, the tanner in Oko-Oba, and the young fashion designer in Yaba.”

Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, said the hub would lower production costs and raise quality standards, positioning Lagos-made leather products for dominance in both local and export markets.

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