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Long before embracing Trump’s false election claims, Rep. Scott Perry promoted groundless theories

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Long before embracing Trump’s false election claims, Rep. Scott Perry promoted groundless theories


By Beth Reinhard and Mariana Alfaro

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) has been fanning false claims for years, long before his efforts to overturn the 2020 election based on former president Donald Trump’s baseless allegations drew the attention of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

In the fall of 2017, Perry claimed a former House aide to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) orchestrated “massive” data transfers that amounted to a “substantial security threat,” according to Fox News. The Pakistani American staffer, Imran Awan, was later cleared of stealing government secrets by federal prosecutors.

Around the same time, Perry suggested then-CNN host Chris Cuomo was exaggerating the lack of water and electricity in hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico. “You’re simply just making this stuff up,” Perry said. Hurricane Maria was later tied to nearly 3,000 deaths.

In January 2018, Perry speculated about an Islamic State connection to the mass shooting in Las Vegas the previous year, contradicting law enforcement’s assertion that the accused gunman was working alone. “I smell a rat like a lot of Americans,” he said.

Perry’s incendiary remarks in recent years made bold headlines that quickly faded. Now, the five-term congressman and incoming chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus has drawn the scrutiny of the bipartisan House panel probing the deadly insurrection by a pro-Trump mob.

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On Tuesday, Perry rebuffed the committee’s request for communications and voluntary testimony, the first significant action the panel has taken to obtain information from a sitting member of Congress.

“I stand with immense respect for our Constitution, the Rule of Law, and the Americans I represent who know that this entity is illegitimate, and not duly constituted under the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives,” Perry said in a statement. “I decline this entity’s request and will continue to fight the failures of the radical Left.”

The committee, which was established by a vote of the full House, is interested in Perry’s efforts to help install Jeffrey Clark, a Justice Department official sympathetic to Trump’s stolen-election claims, as acting attorney general. Perry introduced Clark to Trump, according to a Senate Judiciary Committee report released in October that named Clark as a key figure in the attempt to overturn the election.

The Senate report found that Perry, along with Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R), pressured top law enforcement officials to investigate the state’s 2020 election results. According to the report, Perry and Mastriano contacted Richard Donoghue, who was the Justice Department’s second-ranking official, to urge him to investigate Trump’s spurious claims of widespread voter fraud.

Donoghue told Senate investigators that during one conversation with Perry, the congressman complained “generally about the FBI” and the Awan investigation.

Perry and his office declined repeated requests Tuesday for comment from The Washington Post about that probe, as well as his record in Congress, public policy views and past public statements.

Jan. 6 insurrection: The Washington Post investigation

In 2017, during the investigation into Awan, Perry reached out to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, whose office was handling the probe as well as a separate investigation into the murder of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich. Perry raised concerns in an Aug. 11 letter to Channing D. Phillips that a federal prosecutor in his office, the brother of former DNC chairwoman Wasserman Schultz, faced potential conflicts of interest regarding the two investigations.

At the time, right-wing conspiracy theorists were casting Awan as a Pakistani government agent and Rich as the leaker of DNC documents during the 2016 campaign. Those allegations were debunked. The congresswoman’s brother had nothing to do with either investigation, which were handled by separate sections of the U.S. attorney’ office, according to a Dec. 18 response from the Justice Department’s legislative affairs office. Perry’s letter and the response became available through public records requests.

“It was kind of ludicrous. All these conspiracy theories were running around, and there was no merit to any of them,” Phillips, a Democrat and former career prosecutor who is now retired, said in an interview with The Post on Tuesday. “He had his facts wrong, that’s all I can say.”

Perry, a combat veteran who began his political career as a state representative in Pennsylvania, worked from an early age picking fruit at a farm in Mechanicsburg, Pa. The grandson of Colombian immigrants and the son of a single mom who fled abusive partners, Perry was raised in a home he describes as “spartan” in his campaign biography. His family relied on public assistance for several years. He found jobs as a mechanic, dock worker and insurance agent before graduating from Pennsylvania State University. By 1993, he was running his own mechanical contracting firm.

Trump endorsed Perry in his 2018 and 2020 reelection bids, tweeting in May 2020 that Perry is “an incredible fighter for Pennsylvania.” Perry has long relied on his working-class background to rally support among his rural Pennsylvania base.

“He’s overcome a lot in life to get to Congress, and he’s not giving up, though all he does is push this extreme rhetoric,” said Democrat Eugene DePasquale, the former Pennsylvania auditor general who unsuccessfully challenged Perry in 2020 and is considering a rematch.

In Pa., close House race is a microcosm of Trump-Biden showdown

Perry’s record reflects his allegiance to the far right. Last year, he was among 18 House Republicans to vote against a resolution condemning QAnon, a conspiracy theory that Trump is fighting a war against a satanic, child sex trafficking ring run by the “deep state.” The FBI has labeled the online movement a potential domestic terrorist threat.

In March, Perry voted in opposition to the Violence Against Women Act, despite fellow Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick being the bill’s chief Republican sponsor. Two months later, he opposed the Covid-19 Hate Crimes act, which called for protecting Asian Americans amid a rise in hate crimes during the pandemic.

Perry criticized the Biden administration’s decision to pull troops out of Afghanistan and voted against a bipartisan bill to expedite visas for Afghan refugees. He later told journalist Greta Van Susteren that allowing more Afghan refugees into the country would lead to “little girls raped and killed in the streets.”

Earlier this month, Perry baselessly accused Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), one of three Muslim members of Congress and the co-sponsor of a bill to combat Islamophobia abroad, of sympathizing with terrorists.

Throughout the pandemic, Perry has questioned the efficacy of masks and vaccines. He has declined to respond to questions about whether he has been vaccinated against the coronavirus. He tested positive for it last month and said his symptoms were “quite mild.”

“This government is saying you’ll inject something into your body whether you want to or not,” Perry said at a news conference at the Capitol in July. “That’s the definition of tyranny.”

During the Jan. 6 attack, as lawmakers hunkered down in a room keeping them safe from the rioters descending on the Capitol, Perry was among a group of Republicans who refused to wear masks, according to video posted by Punchbowl News.

In January, Perry’s profile will rise even higher when he becomes the leader of the House Freedom Caucus, a group formed in 2015 by conservative Republicans frustrated with GOP leaders for compromising with Democrats. Members of the caucus include Reps. Paul A. Gosar (Ariz.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) — both of whom have endorsed Trump’s groundless theories of election fraud.

If Republicans take control of the House in next year’s midterm elections, the Freedom Caucus could have a key role in picking the next House speaker.

“We have fought together for conservative values in the face of fierce Socialist Democrat and RINO Republican opposition,” Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus, said last month, using a pejorative term that means “Republican in Name Only.”

“At this pivotal moment in history, strong fighters are vital to protecting our foundational principles and freedoms. Scott Perry fits that bill,” he said.

Perry currently serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Transportation and Infrastructure committees.

During his first three campaigns for Congress, Perry handily won his solidly Republican district in central Pennsylvania. In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reconfigured the state’s congressional districts, setting new boundaries for Perry’s seat with more Democratic areas. Perry defeated DePasquale by just 6.6 percentage points in 2020.

Perry also faces a potential reelection challenge from Brian Allen, a former Republican who said he left the party because it embraced Trump’s baseless accusations of a rigged election.

“There’s been a drip, drip, drip of information on Perry and how intimately he was involved in trying to overthrow the election,” DePasquale said in an interview Tuesday. “For the Jan. 6 committee to take this step and seek an interview with a sitting member of Congress means they feel it is serious.”

According to the Senate Judiciary report authored by the Democratic majority, Perry was one of the first Republicans to cast doubt on the 2020 election, saying four days after the vote that “legal votes will determine who is POTUS, not the news media.” Perry led the objection to counting Pennsylvania’s electoral votes on the House floor in the hours immediately following the Jan. 6 insurrection. Republicans on Senate panel offered counterfindings, arguing that Trump did not subvert the justice system to remain in power.

“The review of what happened in 2020 is legitimate, and Scott Perry is obviously a leader,” said former Pennsylvania Republican Party chairman Rob Gleason. “I stand by the fact that there are still a lot of concerns about the election.”

According to a Monday letter by Jan. 6 committee chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Perry communicated with Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows about Clark, the official who sought to use Justice Department resources to support Trump’s false claims of massive voting fraud. People familiar with documents Meadows turned in to the committee say it was Perry who flagged the chief of staff about his encrypted messages. Perry has denied sending the “Please check your Signal” text to Meadows.

“Representative Perry has information directly relevant to our investigation,” a committee spokesman said Tuesday, adding that the committee would consider “other tools” to get evidence from members who decline to cooperate voluntarily. One week ago, the committee voted to hold Meadows in contempt for defying a subpoena.

Perry acknowledged that he had introduced Trump to Clark in a January statement in which he said he had worked with the Justice Department official in the Civil Division on “various legislative matters.” Perry also said: “When President Trump asked if I would make an introduction to Clark, I obliged.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) was a member of the House Freedom Caucus. According to his office, he is not a member, and the story has been corrected.

Culled from the Washington Post

In defence of judicial authority

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In defence of judicial authority

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

“The judiciary,…. has no influence over either the sword or the purse; no direction either of the strength or of the wealth of the society; and can take no active resolution whatever. It may truly be said to have neither force nor will, but merely judgment.” Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist, No. 78.

In January 1983, a suspicious fire incident did considerable damage to NECOM House, the high-rise building in Lagos that housed the headquarters of the country’s telecommunications monopoly, then known as the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, NITEL. Alhaji Shehu Shagari was in power as elected civilian president. The belief was widespread that the fire was the handiwork of “senior officials in the building (who) had been under investigation for fraud and embezzlement that police estimated at more than $100 million.”

The NECOM House fire was another in a succession of high-profile incidents with a whiff of arson affecting public infrastructure in the country. The previous month, another fire had consumed the Ministry of External Affairs, reportedly “set by accountants who were under investigation.”

Casualty count from the NECOM House fire incident was substantial but uncertain. By some coincidence, the fire occurred the week after the fire-fighting team at the facility had been inexplicably withdrawn.

The response of the federal authorities was even more inexplicable. The 21 persons whom they chose to prosecute in connection with the incident included Ray Ekpu, at the time a senior journalist and columnist, whose crime appeared to be that he published an article after the incident suggesting that it was arson.

Also charged were Adamu Akokhia, Chief Fire Officer of the Federation; and Saidu Garba, the Divisional Fire Officer responsible for the building. While they were suspects in pending criminal proceedings, the federal authorities also suspended Adamu Akokhia and Saidu Garba from work.

Saidu Garba sued at the High Court of Lagos State challenging his suspension. While his case was still pending, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, John Oyegun, issued a letter sacking him from the public service.

Informed of this development, the presiding judge, Yahaya Jinadu, summoned John Oyegun to appear before him and explain why he should not be held in contempt of court. The judge subsequently found Mr. Oyegun guilty of contempt, cautioned him and required him to withdraw the letter of termination issued to Saidu Garba while his case was pending.

Despite the forbearance of the court, Mr. Oyegun failed to comply. On 3 August 1984, the court ordered his lawyer to secure compliance by his client with the order or cease participation in the proceedings until he complied. By this time, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was in his eighth month in power as military ruler, having overthrown Shagari.

Five days later, on 8 August, then Chief Judge of Lagos State, Adetunji Adefarasin, summarily withdrew the case file from Yahaya Jinadu and reassigned it to himself, claiming that he did so at the request of the trial judge. Yahaya Jinadu denied ever having made such a request to the Chief Judge.

While Yahaya Jinadu was on pilgrimage to Mecca shortly thereafter, the Advisory Judicial Committee (AJC), then chaired by Chief Justice Sodeinde Sowemimo (the same one who infamously convicted Obafemi Awolowo two decades earlier), constituted a committee “that curiously condemned his actions and asked him to make written and verbal apologies” to, among others, the federal attorney-general, the President of the Court of Appeal, and the Chief Judge of Lagos State. Unwilling to abide an order which he characterised as “humiliation and disgrace of the judiciary”, Yahaya Jinadu served the statutory sixty-day notice of his intention to resign as a judge. In response, the regime terminated his judicial career summarily.

For being acutely aware of the duty to conserve the currency of judicial authority and being prepared to defend that, Yahaya Jinadu paid a heavy price with his career. Those who traduced him set in motion a deadly corrosion of judicial authority whose inter-generational consequences today endanger the very foundations of both the institution and the country.

Two contemporaneous events this past week dramatized how badly so. Addressing judges at the beginning of the week at a continuing judicial education event in Abuja, the Federal Capital, Chief Justice of the Federation, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, complained about deepening public distrust of the judiciary, reminding her colleagues that “it is not enough to be impartial; we must also be seen to be impartial. The perception of bias or impropriety can be as damaging as the reality itself.”

At about the same time as the Chief Justice uttered them, these sentiments were on trial at another end of town. The Federal High Court in Abuja was the venue of the now viral contretemps between Nnamdi Kanu, self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), on the one hand; and the presiding judge, the lead prosecutor, and even his own team of lawyers, on the other. If anything was more troubling than the conduct of Mr. Kanu in that outing, it was the self-inflicted lack of judicial authority to firmly put a stop to it.

To be sure, there are ample provisions in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) empowering courts to preserve their authority or act against the disruption of their proceedings. A judge for a quarter of a century and a state attorney-general before that, the one charge that cannot possibly be made against the presiding judge in this case is inexperience. So, why was the court, nevertheless, so craven?

On 24 September 2024, she had ruled in respect of the same proceedings concerning Mr. Kanu that: “The root of adjudication is confidence. The defendant has no confidence in this court. Consequently, I hereby recuse myself from this trial and hereby remit the case file to the Chief Judge for further necessary action.” Three weeks later, it was reported that the Chief Judge decided administratively to overrule the trial judge’s recusal and return the case file to her.

There are, however, two problems with this decision. First, as a matter of law, the Chief Judge may be a first among his peers but he is no paramount chief at large. His powers do not extend to administratively overruling a written decision of a judge sitting as such. Second, as a practical matter, a judge who by her own hand rules to recuse herself from proceedings after affirming cratered confidence in her handling of the proceedings cannot allow herself to be bullied or inveigled into attempting to ingest her judicial vomit.

The coincidence of these two developments almost assuredly denied the court of its constitutive authority, making it a passenger in that piece of execrable judicial theatre.

The standard under the 1999 constitution is that a court shall be constituted “in such a manner as to secure its independence and impartiality.” A judge cannot return to claim impartiality and independence after having gone on record to recuse herself for having lost the confidence of the defendant. A forum in that setting hardly deserves the appellation of a court.

Nigeria’s 1999 constitution speaks loosely of “judicial power”. The traditional tools of power in this sense are coercive or transactional. As a fact, the judiciary lacks both. Its currency is neither arms nor money. Rather it is reason and authority.

To the extent that it is possible to salvage anything from the wreckage of those proceedings in that Federal High Court last week, it is the importance of holding the feet of the judiciary to fire when any judge – no matter how high – acts in a manner that casually endangers that authority. The costs of not doing so are incalculable.

A lawyer and teacher, Odinkalu can be reached [email protected]

Passing of Pa Ayo Adebanjo: The last titan falls

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Passing of Pa Ayo Adebanjo: The last titan falls

By Emman Ozoemena

Pa Ayodele Samuel Adebanjo, Esq., was a patriot, statesman, nationalist, and Pan Africanist who served as a bridge builder. His life’s work exemplified courage of conviction, utilitarianism, and selflessness – virtues characteristic of a bygone generation of leaders.

With his passing, Nigeria has lost a significant national asset, a vital resource, and the institutional memory that shaped its political landscape.

For over 76 years, he utilized his exceptional intellect and talents to champion causes he believed in, collaborating with fellow advocates to organize and promote them. He was a leading voice for democracy, good governance, and ensuring Nigeria serves its people effectively.

Pa Adebanjo spanned three significant epochs in Nigeria’s history: Colonial Nigeria, the post-colonial era, and post-military rule. His interpretation of Nigeria’s historical trajectory was straightforward and incisive.

Many patriots will deeply miss Pa Adebanjo’s insightful contributions to national discourse, which were marked by wisdom and wit. As we strive for stable democratic principles and practices, may we find comfort in the enduring legacy he left behind. His life was a testament to devotion to God, country, and humanity.

Deep condolences to his immediate family, associates, and the nation on the passing of Comrade Pa Ayo Adebanjo. May his memory be a blessing. Farewell to the icon of justice and equity.

Emman Ozoemena, writes from Abuja, Nigeria.

Binance Executive Gambaryan hits back after the Nigerian government accused him of spreading falsehood over his claim that top Nigerian officials asked him for bribe, says “It’s pointless to argue with evil”

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Binance Executive Gambaryan hits back after the Nigerian government accused him of spreading falsehood over his claim that top Nigerian officials asked him for bribe, says “It’s pointless to argue with evil”

Tigran Gambaryan has hit back at claims by the Nigerian government that he is spreading falsehood after he released a statement accusing three Nigerian lawmakers of demanding a $150million bribe from him to stave off his arrest and prosecution. 

Gambaryan, a former US federal agent and Binance employee had released a statement narrating his ordeal while being detained for by the Nigerian government  (read here). 

The Nigerian government responded through the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris. 

In a statement on Friday, Feb. 14, Mr Idris said Mr Gambaryan’s “allegations are not only unsubstantiated but also lack credibility, given his apparent motive to discredit and intimidate those who ensured he faced justice.” (Read here). 

Mr Idris added that Gambaryan should be given a chance to prove his claims in court. 
 

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Gambaryan has now hit back, accusing the Nigerian government of “foolishness”. 

His response, shared via X, partly reads: “You dragged my name through the mud for the past year with zero evidence against me, nearly killed me, and caused trauma to my family. And now you have the nerve to talk about defamation? 

“I’ll put my credibility on the line anytime. In court? You mean like last time, when your attorneys didn’t even show up to the human rights suit in Abuja? 

“Get your facts straight. I am done with this foolishness. I said my part. I’ll be off twitter now since it’s pointless to argue with evil.”
 

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Coalition says over 1,000 killed, 2,000 villages sacked by armed herdsmen in Benue’s Sankera axis

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Coalition says over 1,000 killed, 2,000 villages sacked by armed herdsmen in Benue’s Sankera axis

The Coalition of Sankera Elites, CSE, a socio-cultural organisation, has raised the alarm over the activities of armed herdsmen in the Sankera axis of Benue state, lamenting that over 1,000 individuals have so far lost their lives to the marauders who also ravaged over 2,000 villages with properties worth billions of Naira destroyed.

Sankera axis comprises of Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state.

Addressing the media weekend in Makurdi, leader of the Coalition, Mr. Job Tiza who condemned the security situation in Sankera known as the Food Basket of Benue,  pointed out that armed herdsmen have forced the people to flee their homes and farms and taking refuge in Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps and homes of loved ones in other communities.

He insisted that the government was not doing enough to tackle insecurity in that part of the state in order to protect the lives and property of the huge farming populace which had become a threat to the food security of the state and the country at large.

He stated that since July 2023 “the people of Ugbaam, Kundav, Borikyo, Mbatian, Mbazum, and parts of Uyam Council Wards in Ukum Local Government have been forcibly displaced from their ancestral homes for the first time in recorded history. These homes are now permanently occupied by the marauding herdsmen. They are grazing freely as we make this press statement.

“Statistically, these six council wards account for 50 percent of Ukum’s population. Thus, it is not an exaggeration to state that about half of the local government’s population is displaced and currently seeking refuge either in IDPs camps or with relatives in Sankera and Zaki Biam.

“Over two thousand villages in Sankera have been devastated, with more than one thousand individuals killed by the invaders and properties worth billions of Naira destroyed. Our communities are helpless, for it appears the government has surrendered our land to these invaders and criminals.

“Sankera is predominantly an agrarian society, and the intermediate area is vital to Benue’s status as the Food Basket of Nigeria. However, we can no longer access our farmlands as Sankera is now facing serious starvation and unable to provide food for the nation. This is a food security crisis that should worry every person of goodwill.”

Recalling some of the attacks and killings perpetrated by the armed herdsmen in the area,the Coalition noted that “on Saturday March 9, 2024, armed herdsmen invaded Gbagir, a settlement in Tyuluv Council Ward of Ukum LGA and killed 68 persons. Also, on August 11, 2024, over 80 persons were killed by herdsmen in Ayati and other parts of Borikyo Council Ward of Ukum. They were accorded a mass burial just to mention but a few.

“In Logo LGA, on July 28, 2024 armed herdsmen attacked and murdered Mr. Terdoo Hembaor on Anyiin-Awashua road when he was  conveying a passenger to Fanu crossing point at River Benue. On October 9, 2024 at about 8:30pm, in multiple attacks, the herdsmen also murdered the late Solomon Kwanta of Tse Kwanta in Tomatar Iwendyer, a 300 level student of University of Calabar. He was murdered on Abeda – Ayilamo road. They also proceeded to Ayilamo town where they killed in cold blood, Mr. Aza Dooior and his son at about 8:30 pm and injured three others

“On October 11, 2024 at about 8:30pm they attacked Uzer settlement in Tombo Council Ward and murdered Mrs. Ulagh Isaac and her son. Also on October 19, 2024 at about 8pm they attacked Anyiin town and murdered 14 persons. On Friday October 18, 2024 they attacked the locals in the farm at Kurungu village in Iwendyer community, Tombo Council Ward and murdered two persons: Igba Mtswenen and Ioryina  Adinya.

“On October 29, 2024 at about 4:30pm, the killer herdsmen murdered Orseer Iorzua Gbam at Fofi village on Ayilamo-Abeda road. Also on the same date at about 5pm they attacked Tse Vir, Tse Akombo and Tse Agule villages in Mbaniange community, Mbagber Council Ward Logo LGA and murdered 11 persons. On November 4, 2024 the they invaded Anyiin, Ayilamo and environs and killed 17 people leaving several others injured and destroying properties worth millions. And on November 24, 2024 at about 6:30am they  invaded Azege settlement in Tombo Council Ward and murdered 17 persons.

“The records are there for anyone to verify that the whole of Tombo, Tswarev/Ukerembergya Council Wards and parts of Mbagber and Turan Council Ward have been displaced. Thousands of people are living in IDP camps either in Ugba or Anyiin with some squatting with relatives without any means of livelihood.

“In Katsina Ala, there are several cases of herdsmen attacks in Yooyo and Mbayongo Council Ward that have left not fewer than 50 persons dead and properties with millions destroyed. These are the ones readily available on record as there are several unrecorded attacks and killings on a daily basis in that part of the state.

“Suffice it to state that our people have endured every form of human degradation, including death, torture, rape, food insecurity, psychological trauma, and above all, an existential crisis.”

The Coalition appealed to President Bola Tinubu to “deploy security forces to dislodge the armed herdsmen who have permanently occupied our ancestral land in Sankera and also facilitate the resettlement of our people back to their ancestral homes. Provide relief materials and other forms of assistance for their resettlement.”

They also requested the approval of the President for “the establishment of a military barracks in Sankera, particularly in Ukum LGA which is the flashpoint to prevent further breakdown of law and order and restore security so that our people can go back to their farms as the farming season is knocking on the door. In addition, we appeal to Mr President to kindly complete the construction of the Mobile Police barracks in Anyiin, Logo LGA to enhance quick security response to distress calls and stop the herders and bandits from causing mayhem to our people.”

They urged that as an interim measure, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA should be directed by the President to release relief materials to the displaced people of Sankera to ease their hardship and trauma.

Meanwhile the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Tersoo Kula had in a recent statement maintained that the present administration had achieved relative peace in the state compared to what obtained in the past.

UI beefs security as armed men invade hostel, steal students’ phones, others

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UI beefs security as armed men invade hostel, steal students’ phones, others

Armed robbers on Saturday morning dispossessed students of the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State of their valuables worth thousands of naira during a raid on the Awolowo Hall of Residence.

However, the University management said it has beefed up security following the incident.

The university’s Director of Public Relations, Mrs Joke Akinpelu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident occurred at the hall of residence during the early hours of Saturday.

Akinpelu said the thief entered only two rooms and stole two mobile phones.

According to her, the victims unsuspectingly left their doors open to either use the toilet or wash plates when the thief followed them in to pick up their phones.

“The thief asked whether they had laptops, but they said no, and when an alarm was raised, he fled,” she said.

The spokesperson said the police had been informed and were investigating the case.

Multiple sources claim that the items lost were mobile telephone handsets, pieces of jewellery, clothing and others.

A student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Aside from the lost items, the affected students were tortured during the raids that lasted for few hours.”

Another source explained that “the security section was alerted by the screaming of the affected students as they hurriedly swung into action.

“Some of the suspects who were arrested have been handed over to the police at Sango Police Station.”

Rights lawyer, OGEBE who obtained US sanctions on terror group addresses Congressman’s claims USAID funded Boko Haram

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Rights lawyer, OGEBE who obtained US sanctions on terror group addresses Congressman’s claims USAID funded Boko Haram
  • Releases documents revealing concerns about Nigeria programme

By Emmanuel Ogebe

I was shocked to see comments by Congressman Scott Perry that USAID is funding Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria. As the topmost global expert on Nigerian terrorism to work with the U.S. Congress to force President Obama’s designation of Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on November 13, 2013, I can confidently say this is blatantly false.

Not only did I testify in Congress before the designation but I testified after the FTO as well to report to Congress that Turkish Airlines should be investigated when we obtained evidence of a cockpit recording where Turk pilots discussed arms smuggling into Nigeria.

In addition, I traveled with multiple US congressional delegations to Nigeria on fact-finding missions over the years and in particular after meeting the widow of a policeman, who along with him and her sons had their throats slit but she survived, was directed by them to USAID for assistance. Unfortunately, USAID did not provide her any assistance but my self and others contributed and built her a house. When one of her sons was discovered alive after 14 years, Dr Pastor Paul Enenche gave him a scholarship for several years now.

More recently an American pastor asked me to assist him to exchange himself for the release of captive Christian schoolgirl Leah Sharibu. The Legal Attache of the U.S. Embassy meet with him to dissuade him from doing so saying it was against Nigerian law to engage with terrorists.

Even when an American woman was kidnapped by Fulani bandits in Jos a couple of years ago, the U.S. did not play a role in paying her ransom due to their policy against such. It was my humanitarian colleagues who paid it. The U.S. prefers to send in their troops to rescue Americans than to give money to terrorists as they did in secret military operations in Sokoto and Kaduna disclosed previously.

We have many concerns with USAID. Last year we asked them to assist us in delivering half a billion naira worth of medical aid we were donating to Nigeria but they declined. Upon reviewing the program report they shared with us, we saw that they had allocated $15 million for mosquito nets in the very state where we were providing humanitarian relief to. We requested details for it but they didn’t produce any before Biden left.

We also noted that they claimed to have spent millions of dollars on peace-building in the state. We asked them whether the terrorists had ever attended any peacebuilding seminar.
The fact of the matter is that if U.S. govt was funding terrorism, we would know and expose it.

Only last year, I exposed how a U.S. journalist lied that the CIA rescued Chibok girls from Sambisa in her new book “The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA” by Liza Mundy.

I note further that indeed I raised concerns with the U.S. government when I served as their Country Representative to Nigeria 20 years ago that we had built houses for Bin Laden sympathizers. However, they were ignorant almajiris and not terrorists and Boko Haram was yet to begin terrorism then.

These baseless attacks on USAID are merely to give a dog a bad name after hanging it.

Kindly find below my communications with senior USAID leadership regarding concerns with their programs in Nigeria just last year:

CORRESPONDENCE WITH BIDEN ADMINISTRATION USAID MANAGEMENT

Dear AA Monde,

I have taken sometime to review the documents on your substantial engagements in Plateau state. As Country Rep for the USG, Plateau State was one of several states my agency signed MOUs with for counterpart funding of economic development projects twenty years ago so I am intimately familiar with it from a programmatic lens in addition to attending law school there.

A. PROJECTS REVIEW

  1. POWER
    Firstly, thank you for your electricity project in Plateau state. In an embassy briefing some years ago, we were apprised of it.

Incidentally, the rationale of the project location was based on the heroism of a local mullah who protected 300 Christians in his mosque during the June 2018 massacre that claimed over 200 lives including four of my relatives (the youngest were a four and six year old boy and girl.) We’re currently sponsoring orphans of that atrocity as USAID assistance does not extend to these ones.

COLLABORATION
USAID contacted us seeking our assistance in building a bridge en route the mullah’s village after seeing our rebuilding efforts in Benue state. However given our meagre resources and our focus on underserved communities, we were unable to.

CRITIQUE
In addition to non-assistance to vulnerable violence victims, one of our concerns was that the U.S. recognition of the heroic Muslim cleric’s rescue of 300 Christians significantly erodes its flawed narrative that this is a non-religious conflict. (You may see more analysis of the logical inconsistencies in my recent series on the Africa visit.)

  1. PEACE-BUILDING
    Again thanks for the effort. I am familiar with one of our local interlocutors who I believe is your IP.

CRITIQUE
The obvious one is that a forced peace without justice is repression. US aids Israel with billions to retaliate Islamist terror attacks over land dispute but aids Plateau with thousands to tolerate Islamist terror attacks over “land” disputes.
Your divergent policy on parallel situations, even assuming your flawed problem analysis were true, promotes the survival of the former and annihilation of the other.

Our colleagues in country are reviewing the report in greater depth but clearly given the continuing fatalities the programs have infinitesimal effect and I fear to say have a contrarian effect. The summary I glimpsed is based on perceptions and no hard data establishing a casual nexus between interventions and deescalation of atrocities.

My final comments are that the Fulani invasions predate Nigeria vide the 1804 jihad. Climate change was not the cause then either. Lastly, admitted foreign Fulani militia invaders from west Africa do not constitute “communal conflict” when slaying indigenous Nigerian citizens on their ancestral lands, the same way the Russian invasion of Ukraine isn’t a “communal clash.”

COLLABORATION
We have led US and British parliamentary delegations on fact-finding missions there which have greatly enhanced their appreciation of the nuances to the conflict. We would be interested in having a broad consultation of global actors in this area; the US Diaspora as well as micro interaction with victims in country to bridge the knowledge gap and the relief deficit.

  1. MALARIA
    I commend your budgeted health interventions in Plateau state.

CRITIQUE
The biggest mortality driver and threat factor in Plateau state is terrorists and not mosquitoes. Terrorism is both a public health, food security and national security crisis.

COLLABORATION
Our extensive work and needs assessment in the state show for instance that the premier Plateau Hospital (where I was born) is completely run down and in need of a major overhaul. While USAID’s $15.3million investment in insecticide-treated nets is commendable, $1.3 million of that could significantly upgrade the hospital to be able to provide significant service to a myriad of medical maladies, terror or otherwise, significantly scaling impact beyond merely malaria.

B. PROPOSED PROGRAM PARTNERSHIPS

Overall, the following appear to bear synergistic potential:

  1. VALUED-ADDED MEDICAL AID COMPACT
    Pertaining to the initial object of my outreach, it would interest you to know that our medical aid includes mosquito nets for Plateau State in addition to PPE, equipment and consumables. Facilitating the shipment’s delivery therefore is not only entirely consistent with your programmatic objectives but adds value.
    We would ask consideration of a cooperative agreement to allow for delivery of said aid to Plateau state pursuant to your envisaged programming.
  2. UPSCALED PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE LEVERAGING
    We recommend considering a reallocation of $1.3 million of the FY2024 mosquito net funds (less than 10%) to be utilized in an MOU with Plateau State to upgrade Plateau Hospital. The MOU would actually leverage counterpart funding from PLSG for exponential public heath impact and service delivery.
  3. MODERN COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT SCHEME
    We would like to explore an ambitious plan to help rebuild devastated communities with modernized model villages. After consultation with the embassy, we have searched for potential prototypes by the UN in northeast amongst others. We’re finally site-visiting a Canadian-Diaspora funded prototype in Plateau state soon to explore suitability for replication.
    Proposed funding is under negotiation and Plateau state would be a good pilot for subsequent scalability across devastated communities in the north.
    This project would reprise a project executed during my tenure where USG built 400 homes in ravaged communities in a cofunding collaboration with a Nigerian state.

I am including a few supporting documents and would appreciate an initial meeting referral with your country office during our next visit and one at HQ to explore these further.

Thanks for your kind attention.

Emmanuel Ogebe
Special Counsel
Justice for Jos Project

Seeking to end impunity in the Nigerian Genocide

PHOTO-2024-02-09-10-10-50.jpg
I located our photos from last February in the Hilton, Abuja
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(10yr Boko Haram IDP widowed Mum)
All are victims of Fulani militia terrorism except Blessing who is a double victim of that and Boko Haram terrorism. Their orphanage in Plateau was destroyed displacing 156 children out of whom we sponsored seven to school in Abuja. Janet, you may recall is unable to parent due to PTSD.
image1.jpegimage2.jpeg

I am sorry to report that due to the continuing insecurity in Plateau state and inflation, the students’ scholarship program in Abuja was suspended so that they’re not in danger whilst traveling back and forth.

On Feb 7, 2024, at 4:28 PM, :


Dear Monde,

Thank you for taking the time to look into this.

I’d like to first apologize for spamming you. I spoke to a colleague in the UN who called today that she still hadn’t received my email and I found that I had mistakenly resent it to you!

Incidentally, your response is somewhat similar to that received by Plateau state health officials from UNHAS that they only serve Yobe and Borno states in the northeast and so unable to help.

I think this is a clear indicator of the gap between the critical needs of the community and the programmatic priorities and perceptions of donors.

Leaving victims in the midst of their misery and the impunity of aggressors is, I consider, the surest recruitment mechanism for reprisals.

I think that USAID and Africa is fortunate to have you because your strong academic credentials and Africa expertise can help us review the flawed narratives on which failed interventions are hinged.

As Diaspora, hopefully we can reach out to engage with you as we did during Administrator Green’s Nigeria trip.

I believe it is time for an overdue honest conversation on the situation in Nigeria’s middlebelt and I hope we can do it soon.

A couple decades ago, I served a U.S. donor agency as Country Representative to Nigeria. My concerns about the extremism I saw were discounted by HQ. Recently an FSN deployed at the same time as I confided in me that he had exactly the same pushback within the US mission! That was the birth year of Boko Haram.

This tells me not to devalue my perspective as a Nigerian American (for fear of unconscious bias) because another American saw exactly the same thing that I saw!

In the two weeks since Sec Blinken’s trip, three communities in Benue and Plateau states where we had relief projects have been fatally attacked again including yesterday with over a dozen killed. So hopefully you’ll forgive and can understand my non-enthusal.

I am including here the video of the kids who survived Boko Haram attacks in northeast 10yrs ago, being besieged on a mountain for a year, being undocumented refugees outside UNHCR camps in Cameroun only to return to survive a Fulani militia attack in north central two years ago.
https://fb.watch/m2LFszWgOE/?mibextid=UVffzb

I still have photos you took with them at the Hilton Abuja in case you need them.

These kids have been IDPs for over half their lives and we need to find solutions that work instead of them paying the price for suspended animation. That’s a debt we owe Africa’s children.

Many thanks for your kind attention.

Emmanuel
Special Counsel
Justice for Jos Project

Seeking to end impunity in the Nigerian Genocide

On Feb 7, 2024, at 2:04 PM, Monde Muyangwa wrote:


Dear E Ogebe,

Thank you for your email on January 24, 2024. The attacks in Plateau State serve as a sad reminder of how violence can steal the lives of our loved ones and diminish the strength of our communities. As the U.S. Mission Nigeria expressed in a December 28 statement, I also condemn the Plateau State attacks and the tragic loss of life and extend my condolences to the impacted families. It is imperative that those responsible for these heinous crimes are held accountable.

I would also like to thank you for the important work that your organization is doing in Plateau, including your recent medical mission. I have explored your request with my team and unfortunately USAID is unable to facilitate an airlift of medical supplies.

We recognize your long-standing commitment to Nigeria and the issues at hand, and would like to share additional information on how USAID is addressing the drivers of conflict in places like Plateau. Please refer to the attached factsheet. USAID interventions in Plateau work to mitigate farmer-herder violence, professionalize state peace commissions, and build the capacity of community leaders in interest-based negotiation, mediation and facilitation. USAID has worked with 35 peace structures and committees in Plateau who are conducting outreach to dissuade people from carrying out further reprisals. While limited in geographic scope, we are witnessing community members whose newly acquired skills have deescalated conflict from becoming violent. Please find additional information here.

Thank you again for reaching out to me personally and for your commitment to supporting the victims of violence and efforts aimed at building peace. If you have any further questions, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Monde Muyangwa

Intimate Affairs: Before you dissolve like alum, by Funke Egbemode

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Intimate Affairs: Before you dissolve like alum, by Funke Egbemode

The first thing I noticed was her hair. She had gone almost completely grey. Her skirt suit hung on her, shapeless. She wore no make-up. She had no colour. But I recognised her all the same. Nike, my younger friend, once lovely, shapely and lively, made her way into the airport lounge. I called her name, tentatively and she brightened momentarily and then we hugged and hugged.

“What’s happened to you? You are not ill? Please tell me you are fine. “I asked as bad pictures of AIDS and cancer chased through my frightened mind.

My friend smiled. “I’m fine. girl. Don’t look so woe-be-gone now.”

“Well, I am one clear year older than you and right now you look five clear years older than me.”

“It’s a long story, Funke, a very long story.”

I grabbed my small briefcase and dragged Nike into the VIP lounge so we could have some privacy. Fortunately, we were on the same flight which had just announced a 45-minute delay for the arrival of its aircraft. Holding back tears bravely, Nike told her long story.

Bayo, Nike’s husband of 15 years, had suddenly fallen in love with another woman, an older one at that, and abandoned my friend and their two children. Bayo’s ‘new wife’ is a rich, quite rich 52-year-old businesswoman from Delta state. She lives somewhere in Maitama in Abuja and does her oil and gas business in the South-South states. She is very influential and even more determined to have Bayo for keeps. Like a man under a spell, Bayo moved in with her two years ago and has not looked back.

Nike ran from pillar to post trying to retrieve her husband. She prayed. She fasted. She went from one prayer house to another.

Prophets and prophetesses assured her Bayo would return. They assured her that the bond between Bayo and Helen (that’s her name o) would be broken. But as we waited for that flight, the bond was still there. Helen had her claws firmly in place and Nike’s sorrows were increasing.

On her salary as a nurse, she was paying the rent, school fees for the children who are in secondary school, playing dad and mum and so on. The burden was killing her. Her self-esteem was at the lowest ebb. She was just totally confused.

Very pathetic story. Very familiar? You bet.

Many women are going through Nike’s kind of problem. Husband suddenly relocates abroad or into another woman’s life, under a spell, juju or financial reasons. Wife becomes the breadwinner, pained and confused. She loses weight, loses interest in life and simply starts dissolving like a piece of alum dropped in water. Life becomes unbearable. How does she explain this new arrangement to the children, her siblings, parents, church members, friends and colleagues? Is a woman in Nike’s shoes single, married, separated or a widow?

Plenty of questions but as far as I am concerned, those are not questions anybody needs to answer at once. All a woman whose husband is hibernating in another home needs to do is live, stay alive, stay healthy and make the best of a bad situation. The Yoruba say it is what has not arrived that you cannot make room for. You must accept what you cannot change if you must stay sane.

Dwelling on your pains and grieving does not solve the problem. Of course, an abandoned wife has a right to be unhappy. She should cry. She is free to make efforts, plenty of efforts to ‘retrieve’ her man. But she has a duty to stay alive, sane and useful to herself and the children the deceased left behind. Yes, a man who leaves his wife and children to work under another woman is dead all right, even if it’s ‘temporary’ death. Okay, if he is not dead, why is his wife sleeping alone and picking the bills he ought to be paying? If he is not the ‘deceased’, why are you grieving?

That’s hard, ehn? Well only a hard woman can weather the storm my friend found herself in. Until an abandoned wife comes to terms with her loss, sees the runaway husband as out of the picture, until he resurrects, he is dead. He is off the scene. He is, for the time being, not part of that family. All the children have of him is his name and then memories. Thinking that every knock on the door would usher him in would only worsen your pains. For now, he is gone. He will return when he is sated and satiated. He will return when the spell is broken and the hellish claws release him.

A wife who finds herself in these shoes can wait all right, but not with baited breath. Since he is determined to return when he wants, you must also be prepared to receive him. But in-between his departure and (hopeful) arrival, you need to get a life, live it to the fullest. Dust up your certificates, get a couple more degrees, apply for a new and better job. Focus on your happiness and stay strong for those children.

A wardrobe change is a must, why should you be an object of pity when he is living it up in America or Ireland or partying all over the place with his new ‘wife’? Looking good is still good business. You must look in the mirror and give yourself a thumbs-up. And trust me, words will get to him that the abandoned rock is now a cornerstone.

Look on the bright side all the time. For instance, isn’t this the time to get close to your God? There’s now nobody to ask you if you were Mary, mother of Jesus, every time you want to go to Bible study. There is nobody to ask you if you were the one who killed Jesus anytime you decide to fast. There is nobody to ‘sexually harass’ you when you get up at night to pray in your sexy negligee. So go on, get in God’s presence and enjoy receiving daily from Him.

Now, why do I think runaway husbands would return? There is precedence. It is happening all the time Seven out of ten shameless husbands who abandon their wives always return. Who says yours won’t be one of the seven? You see why you cannot dissolve like alum? He is on leave of absence even if he did not transmit any letter. Enjoy the vacation. If you worry yourself sick, he may meet you in a wheelchair and then why should he return to a drooling wife he has to carry into bed and ‘arrange’ on the toilet seat?

Like my sister-in-law counselled Nike later that day in a Chinese restaurant in Ikeja, when he returns, the two of you can apologise to each other. I concur too.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

[email protected].

Adama Mohammed, Mimi Ayua, elected FIDA Abuja Vice Chair and General Secretary

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Adama Mohammed, Mimi Ayua, elected FIDA Abuja Vice Chair and General Secretary

Following a bye-election that took place on Wednesday 12th February 2025, the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA Nigeria Abuja branch elected Adama Mohammed as Vice Chairperson Mimi Ayua as General Secretary and Adaeze Nwonye-Udeji as Welfare Secretary.

The Vice Chairperson, General Secretary and Welfare Secretary being sworn in by Mrs Ogechi Abu

Adama Mohammed who was a member of the immediate Past Governing Council & FCT Abuja Chair of the Nigeria Bar Association Women’s Forum is a fellow of the  Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Leadership and Governance FCILG, President-Elect Designate of the Rotary Club Abuja Maitama (The Amazons & Titans) and many more.

Adama in the middle flanked by Chair Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko and General Secretary Mimi Ayua
Hajiya Laraba Shuaibu and Adama

Called to the Nigerian Bar in 2009, Adama who works in the Energy Industry, obtained her LLB from the University of Abuja in 2008, and an MSc. in Energy Management from the United Kingdom.

The new FIDA Abuja Vice Chair who describes herself as a passionate Humanitarian Advocate and a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, has several awards credited to her endeavours in various fields including the NBA.

FIDA Abuja EXCO members

Recently she was bestowed with awards of Excellence by both the Law Students of the Umar Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina & the West African Law Students Association [WASA] for her support and impact on Young Lawyers.

Mimi Ayua

Likewise, Mimi Ayua a legal practitioner with over ten years of experience was sworn in as General Secretary. A compère per excellon, Mimi serves as the managing partner at Wells & Pitchers  LP.

Adaeze Nwonye-Udeji

Also, Adaeze Nwonye-Udeji was sworn in as Welfare Secretary.

Binance Executive accuses NSA Nuhu Ribadu of wanting billions in payouts to fund political ambition

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Binance Executive accuses NSA Nuhu Ribadu of wanting billions in payouts to fund political ambition

A former US federal agent and Binance employee, Tigran Gambaryan has made stunning allegations against the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu following his release from detention in Nigeria.

Detained in February 2024 and released in October 2024 after the Nigerian government dropped money laundering charges against him following U.S. diplomatic pressure, Gambaryan claims that Ribadu demanded billions in payouts to fund his political ambitions.

Gambaryan also alleges that Ribadu hired a U.S. law firm to negotiate his release, but the firm’s incompetence and greed led to the effort’s failure.

According to Gambaryan, Ribadu exceeded his authority and embarrassed Nigeria before former U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, resulting in diplomatic fallout.

He claims this led the U.S. to restrict visas for the Nigerian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly and that then President Joe Biden declined to meet with President Tinubu until the matter was resolved.

Providing insight into the meeting, he claimed the officials were driven by greed and stated, “Ribadu emphasised that he wanted billions in payouts to fund his future political ambition”.

He noted that when the corruption scandal came to light, “he was trapped—because any settlement would now be perceived as a bribe. I guess he really wanted his boss’ job”.

Gambaryan, a US national, who was detained on February 26, 2024, was released on October 23, after the government dropped the money laundering charges filed against him through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, discharged Gambayran on health grounds.

The EFCC had informed the court that the case could not proceed on the last adjourned date due to Gambayran’s health condition.

The Commission stated that a report from the Nigerian Correctional Service, through the Office of the NSA, indicated that Gambayran’s health had deteriorated to the extent that he could hardly walk without the assistance of a wheelchair, in addition to suffering from other health issues.

But in a statement posted on his X account on Friday, Gambaryan said Ribadu hired a U.S. law firm to negotiate “my release, but this failed due to their incompetence and greed”.

According to him, Ribadu overstepped his authority and embarrassed Nigeria in front of former U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

He said, “Ribadu acting like an asshole angered the White House and led to diplomatic repercussions”, which he said led to the United States’ limited visas to the Nigerian delegation for United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and Biden’s refusal to meet with Tinubu until “my situation was resolved”.

Gambaryan said “in the end, Ribadu overestimated his influence. They thought they could secure a quick win, but instead, they created an international incident, exposing his incompetence on a global scale.

“That’s it for me for now. I don’t want to dwell on this, but it’s important for Nigerians to get the facts. I met amazing people in Nigeria. It’s a shame that these muppets are in charge.”

He, however, explained that Nigeria’s secret police Department of State Services (DSS) was involved in the House of Representatives matter.

In early 2024, Gambaryan travelled to Nigeria to address regulatory concerns between Binance and the Nigerian government. During this visit, Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were detained by Nigerian authorities on allegations of money laundering and tax evasion.

Anjarwalla managed to escape and leave Nigeria.

Gambaryan was held in Kuje Prison for eight months under harsh conditions, including severe health issues. He was eventually released in late 2024 following diplomatic interventions from the U.S. government.

Sahara Reporters

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