…as between 1,650 and 1,700 Christians were hacked to death by Muslim jihadists in nine months of 2020

Onitsha (Sundiata Post) – International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety) has debunked false narratives by the Government of Nigeria which has been going about misleading and misinforming the country’s international partners that killings in Nigeria are beyond religious (anti-Christian) boundaries and that they have proportionality of victims and perpetrators, or 50-50 Muslims and Christians respectively.

Intersociety alleged that prior to now, the Nigerian Government is saying (falsely) that there is no systematically organized violence targeted at Christians and their sacred places of worship and learning.

The group expressed regret that  some int’l reports have also unfortunately and disappointingly  toed a similar line by muddling up the killings or by falsely tagging same ‘farmers-herders’ clashes’; ignoring inherent disproportional use of force between the attackers and the attacked and the Nigerian security forces cover and protection being given to the perpetrators or attacking jihadists.

The group which exposed and listed the 12 types of violence ravaging Nigeria, opined that violence against Christians is taking the majority or numbering over six, adding that another form of violence, it labeled as  “structural and cultural violence” against Christians by present Nigerian Government is in form of  enactment of pro-Islamic laws and promotion of policies that are jihadist and antithetical to the country’s secularity status including gross lopsided composition of the country’s public security establishments and other  key agencies by making them to be heavily Muslim controlled as well as condoning the atrocious acts of the Muslim Fulani jihadists against Christian populations and providing them with state cover and protection.

Intersociety while exposing these in a statement signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair, Amaka Damaris Onuoha, Esq., Chinwe Umeche, Esq., and Obianuju Igboeli, Esq., also declared that the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen holistically target and kill Christians and destroy their churches, schools and homes and take over their lands, but spare Muslims.

The statement reads in full:

Nigerian Violence: Putting The Record Straight: The Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety) has found that violence presently ravaging and wrecking Nigeria can be categorized into at least twelve types. Intersociety’s research investigation on this has become importantly necessary so as to open the eyes of all Nigerians and members of the int’l Community especially the western democracies and rights and research organizations and other respected int’l bodies like UN and its rights and humanitarian agencies, the EU and the Commonwealth on: who is killing who and why, how, when and where the killings in Nigeria or any part thereof.

This is to counter false narratives by the Government of Nigeria which has been going about misleading and misinforming the country’s int’l partners that killings in Nigeria are beyond religious (anti-Christian) boundaries and that they have proportionality of victims and perpetrators, or 50-50 Muslims and Christians respectively. In other words, the Nigerian Government is saying (falsely) that there is no systematically organized violence targeted at Christians and their sacred places of worship and learning.

Some int’l reports have also unfortunately and disappointingly  toed a similar line by muddling up the killings or by falsely tagging same ‘farmers-herders’ clashes’; ignoring inherent disproportional use of force between the attackers and the attacked and the Nigerian security forces cover and protection being given to the perpetrators or attacking jihadists.

Unmasking Twelve Types Of Violence Ravaging Nigeria: Therefore, within the circle of violence currently ravaging Nigeria, it can be divided into twelve types, with violence against Christians taking the majority or numbering over six. The twelve types of violence presently ravaging Nigeria are: (1) violence targeted at defenseless Christians by Jihadist Muslim groups (i.e. Fulani, Boko Haram, ISWAP and Ansaru jihadists, jihadist “Bandits” and Muslim controlled security forces), (2) violence targeted at defenseless Judeo-Christians (I.e. pro Biafra activists and neutral others) and minority Muslims (i.e. Shiites) by the country’s Muslim controlled security forces, (3) structural and cultural violence targeted at Christians by the heavily Muslim controlled Government of Nigeria, (4) violence targeted at indigenous Hausa Muslims (i.e. in Katsina, Northern Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, etc) by State backed local and foreign Fulani Jihadist Muslim groups and (5) violence against residing and traveling Nigerians particularly Christians by ‘eco-jihadist’ Muslim groups or ‘jihadist bandits and their cells’.

Others are (6) violence against properties targeted at Christians’ lands, homes and sacred places of worship and learning by Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen and other Jihadists or Jihadist groups (i.e. burning down or destruction of over 17,000 churches and Christian schools mostly in the Middle Belt (North-central) and Northeast parts of Nigeria since July 2009; with Boko Haram and ISWAP accounting for over 14,000 and Jihadist Herdsmen and others accounting for the remaining 3,000, (7) violence against Christians by Government condoned mob Muslim groups or State/security forces backed mob actions against Christians especially in the North; and (8) security forces’ onslaughts (violence) against defenseless Nigerians or state actor killings outside the law including crimes against humanity and war crimes; part of which are unlawful, extrajudicial and summary killings or executions and disappearances

The rest are: (9) ‘street crimes’ or domestic criminal violence against general Nigerian citizens by various criminal groups including armed robbery, murder, abductions/kidnappings, arson, burglary, rape, domestic violence, cyber-crimes or violence, etc, (10) intra/inter communal violence within and between Nigerian rural communities, (11) reprisal violence (acutely pocketful and constantly repelled by Muslim controlled Nigerian security Forces) by Christian victims’ groups against their attackers; and (12) insurgency violence against the State of Nigeria including attacks on Government facilities and killing of service personnel by terror jihadist groups like Boko Haram, Ansaru, ISWAP, terror ‘Bandits’; with the exception of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen, etc.

In the area of structural and cultural violence against Christians by present Nigerian Government, it involves enactment of pro-Islamic laws and promotion of policies that are jihadist and antithetical to the country’s secularity status including gross lopsided composition of the country’s public security establishments and other  key agencies by making them to be heavily Muslim controlled as well as condoning the atrocious acts of the Muslim Fulani jihadists against Christian populations and providing them with state cover and protection.

For instance, out of 38 key federal political, legislative, judicial, justice, military, policing and paramilitary establishments and their heads in Nigeria recently identified by Intersociety, 31 are manned by Muslims while Christians were given only seven. Most of the serving Justices of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal as well as Judges of the Federal High Court appointed recently by the Government of Nigeria are heavily dominated by Muslims; likewise recent appointments made into the Federal Character Commission and the National Population Commission. In Kaduna State, all the 15 top political, legislative, judicial, justice, military and policing positions recently identified are held by Muslims; in a State with 60-40 Muslim-Christian population.

In the area of violence against Nigerians by ‘eco-cultural-jihadist’ Muslim groups, locally called “banditry”; it involves targeted abduction of residing or traveling citizens especially Christians and forcing them to pay monetary ransoms in captivity or get permanently disappeared or killed without traces. The jihadist content of the above involves targeted abduction of residing or traveling Christian citizens especially women and children. Such young Christian women are forcefully married off, converted to Islam and made sex slaves by their Islamic captors who also made them pregnant so as to bear future radical Muslim children. Christian men among them are forced to be converted to Islam or risked being killed or permanently disappeared in custody. Captured Christian children are radicalized with radical Islamic doctrines and forced into child soldiering including suicide bombing.

Who Kills Who In Nigerian Violence: All the perpetrators of insurgency violence or those behind most of the violent attacks ravaging the country are members of the Nigerian Muslim Faith. In other words, till date, no insurgency group wreaking havoc in present Nigeria belongs to Christians. This is with the exception of ‘street criminal activities’ like armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, cyber violence, etc where criminal citizens and entities of Christian and Muslim faiths and others are involved. The ‘jihado-insurgency’ killings in the country are carefully perpetrated and perfectly executed by their perpetrators. The original targets of the attacks by all Jihadist groups in Nigeria are Christians. They also have one central objective-to Islamize, exterminate and wipe out Christians and Christianity and have the same replaced with Islamic socio-legal system and Sultanate or Caliphate modeled Islamic Government and governance.

Therefore, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen holistically target and kill Christians and destroy their churches, schools and homes and take over their lands, but spare Muslims. This is the case in old Middle Belt areas of Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Christian parts of Niger State as well as Christian areas of Taraba and Adamawa States. It was also our recent finding that the motives behind the killings in Birnin Gwari and other Muslim areas of Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto are not the same with killings in the named old Middle Belt and referenced Northeast States as such killings in the named Muslim areas are ‘eco-cultural-jihadist’ in nature.  Which is why the victims, though Muslims, but are mostly, if not completely of indigenous Hausa Ethnic background-a sort of continuation of the 1800s Fulani Jihadism against pagan and moderate Muslim Hausa populations. Generally speaking, though the central target of Muslim insurgency killings and attacks in Nigeria are Christians and their properties and faith, but other jihadist groups such as Boko Haram, Ansaru and ISWAP also asymmetrically, disproportionally and collaterally target and kill moderate Muslims.

Islamic Conversion Using Inducements: Conversion of thousands of Christians to Islam using material inducements (in some cases charms are used on young Christian women and girls) have intensified across Nigeria. Such inducements include offers of monetary cash, bags of rice and salt, water boreholes, generator plants, motorcycles and tricycles, etc. Reports of same going on have been independently reported in Christian parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Oyo as well as in some Christian States of South-South and Southeast Nigeria.

Government Is Aiding Spread Of Jihad Across Nigeria: Violence against Christians and its accompanied jihad project has spread and is still spreading southward, no thanks to its overt and covert promotion, aiding and abetting by the country’s central Government. Estimated 400 Christians have been killed in the South since 2016, out of which Southeast or mainland Igbo Nation accounted for at least 200 including the Nimbo massacre of April 2016 where not less than 48 rural Igbo Christians were massacred by jihadist Fulani Herdsmen.

This year alone, not less than 35 Igbo Christians have been killed by same Government backed Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen including ten killed in Igbo part of Benue State, ten killed in Anambra and scores of others killed in other Igbo areas. In April 2018, six Igbo Christian farmers were hacked to death by the Jihadists in Anam Community in Anambra West Council Area of Anambra State. In our field survey conducted in May-July 2020, it was found that forests and bushes in not less than 400 Igbo Christian communities and villages have been forcefully occupied by the Jihadist Herdsmen through the aid of the Nigerian military. The number has risen to over 600 as at end of Sept 2020, with addition of Igbo parts of Benue and Kogi States.

33,000 Christian Lives Lost In Eleven Years (Since 2009): Since July 2009 when uprising majorly targeted at Christians by Boko Haram and Fulani jihadist groups took a center stage, over 33,000 Christians have been hacked to death and many of the over 24,000 disappeared persons since then are also Christians. While over 8,300 of the 33,000 Christian death tolls belonged to the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, a dominant church in the Boko Haram insurgency affected States of Taraba, Adamawa, Yobe and Borno, the present Government of Nigeria and its security forces also accounted for over 1000 Judeo-Christian deaths.

The remaining 25,000 Christian deaths and multiple thousands of disappearances including thousands of Igbo Christians resident in the North are spread among members of other Christian denominations including Catholics, Anglicans, Pentecostals and members of ECWA and African Instituted Churches. That is to say that Boko Haram and others have killed over 16,800 (about 11,400 between July 2009 and Jan 2014 and 6,000 between Jan 2015 and Sept or end of 2020) defenseless or unprotected Christians in the past eleven years or since 2009 while Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen accounted for over 15,000 (6,000 between Jan 2009 and Dec 2014 and over 9,000 between Jan 2015 and Sept or end of 2020).

Nigerian Government Killed Over 1000 Christians In 5 Years: The Nigerian Government killing of over 1000 Judeo-Christian citizens since August 2015 had included August 2015-Sept2017/August 2020 massacre of over 510 defenseless in Christian held old Eastern Nigeria; air bombing of over 236 Christian IDPs in the Northeast State of Borno in Jan 2017, another air bombing of not less than 50 rural Christians in another Northeast State of Adamawa in Dec 2017, killing of 240 detainees in 2016 at Giwa Military Barracks in Northeast State of Borno, among them were not less than 100 Christians; killing in June 2020 of 30 Tiv Christians in Taraba, and other war crimes in the Northeast.

Between 1,650 & 1,700 Christians Killed In Nine Months: From our research checks, between 1,650 and 1,700 Christians were hacked to death by Muslim jihadists in Nigeria between 1st Jan 2020 and 30th Sept 2020. Further breakdown indicates that Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen accounted for as much as 1,200 Christian deaths from about 1,077 recorded in our last updates of 5th August 2020 while Boko Haram and other jihadist groups accounted for at least 450 Christian deaths.  In our June 2020 updates regarding killing of Christians by Boko Haram and its allied jihadist groups, 394 Christian deaths were calculated and credited to the named jihadist groups; from over 600 defenseless Nigerians including moderate Muslims killed. Between July and 30th Sept 2020, not less than 100 civilians have been killed which included at least 50 defenseless Christians. Dozens who are mostly Christians have also been abducted and permanently disappeared or presumed killed in their captivity.

The breakdown of the 1,650-1,700 defenseless Christians hacked to death by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen since Jan 2020 indicates that Southern Kaduna topped the list with 430 Christian deaths, followed by Benue 170 with deaths, Plateau 163, Niger 65, Kogi 55, Nasarawa 42, Adamawa 40, Igbo areas including Delta and Benue Igbo 35, Taraba 32, Southwest 25-30, non-Igbo-Delta 20, Edo 10 and Bayelsa four. There are also at least 50 abducted and permanently disappeared Christians and a ‘dark figure’ of 50; bringing the total to as much as 1,200 Christian deaths recorded in the hands of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen between 1st Jan and 30th Sept 2020.

84 Mostly Christians Abducted By Fulani Jihadists In August & Sept: Southern Kaduna and mainly Christian parts of Niger State have lost 84 mostly Christian citizens to Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen abduction between August and Sept 2020. While 53 Christians were abducted in Southern Kaduna, 31 were abducted in mainly Christian parts of Niger State. The abductees who are yet to be seen, months after being abducted, are presumed or most likely to have been killed in captivity for being Christians.

Twenty Muslim Jihadist Groups Operating In Nigeria: The number of jihadist terror groups wrecking havoc in Nigeria has risen to at least 20, from three in 2015. By mid 2015, three jihadist groups were operating in Nigeria and they were Boko Haram, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and Ansaru or Movement for Emancipation of Muslims in Black Africa. But today, their number has risen to not less than 20, involving: two sub terror groups within Boko Haram excluding Ansaru and ISWAP or Islamic State in West African Province. There are also Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen, further divided into three sub terror groups of indigenized jihadist Fulani Herdsmen, foreign or imported jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and jihadist Shuwa Arabs. The Jihadist ‘bandits’ terror group, originally named “Zamfara Bandits” has today split into at least 13 sub jihadist terror groups operating and terrorizing residing and traveling Christians and indigenous Hausa Muslims in Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara and Niger States, etc.

Signed:

For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law-INTERSOCIETY

Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair, Amaka Damaris Onuoha, Esq., Head, Campaign & Publicity, Chinwe Umeche, Esq., Head, Democracy & Good Governance, and Obianuju Igboeli, Esq., Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law

US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has wished Republican President Donald Trump, 74, and First Lady Melania, 50, a quick recovery from COVID-19.

“Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family,” Biden wrote on Twitter.

Trump had written in his Twitter handle “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”

A number of Democrat lawmakers in the US also wished Trump recovery from COVID-19, some urging him to take the novel Coronavirus more seriously.

“Mr. President — if these reports are confirmed, I wish you and the First Lady well,” said Julian Castro who launched his campaign for Democratic presidential nomination in January 2019, but dropped out of the race in January 2.

“I hope this is a wake-up call that this virus is not a hoax or something cured by injecting bleach,” Castro wrote on Twitter.

Trump in April suggested research into whether the novel Coronavirus might be treated by injecting a disinfectant into human body, after he was told bleach could kill the virus in saliva or respiratory fluids.

Although Biden’s campaign stated Trump views COVID-19 as “a hoax,” the president said in February Democrats are “politicizing” the pandemic, adding: “They tried the impeachment hoax … And this is their new hoax.”

Another Democrat, Rep. Jared Huffman from California, said: “Trump and @SenateGOP have failed to take #COVID seriously — and America has paid the terrible price.”

More than 200,000 Americans have lost their lives so far from COVID-19, which Trump called as “the Chinese virus” because of its origin. He resisted wearing a mask, especially during press conferences, until a public event in July.

“No one wants more deaths … Unfortunately, POTUS’ experience with COVID may determine if he changes his tune and attitude or not. If he quickly recovers & is symptom free, will he continue to mock those who wear a mask?” Rep. Nanette D. Barragan, House Democrat from California, wrote on Twitter.

“The President will get treatment other Americans cannot — rapid/multiple COVID testing, top notch health care with daily doctor assessments and who knows what prescriptions. All Americans deserve the same care,” she said.

Trump announced Monday a plan to distribute 150 million rapid Coronavirus tests that are purchased by the federal government. But health care remained a major issue in the US during the pandemic, and it gained even more importance in the looming presidential election on Nov. 3.

“Democrats are fighting to protect health care … Trump administration is suing to eliminate coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions,” Democrat Rep. Ted Lieu from California said on Twitter.

Trump has repeatedly promised in the past years to repeal or replace his predecessor Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, but failed to do so.

The extraordinary setback for Trump had immediate political consequences just 31 days before election day, forcing him to cancel campaign trips and adding new volatility to a contest already steeped in tension.

Trump’s challenger, Biden, is well ahead in the polls and has made criticism of the Republican’s handling of the Coronavirus — and frequent downplaying of the pandemic’s seriousness — a key issue.

A second televised debate with Biden is scheduled for October 15.

Technically obese and in his 70s, Trump is in a higher-risk category for Coronavirus patients.

(Anadolu Agency)

An advocacy group, under the aegis of Access to Justice, has faulted the delay in submission of names of nominees of Supreme Court Justices to the Senate for confirmation

In a statement signed by its Convener, Joseph Otteh, and Project Director, Deji Ajare, made available to TheNigeriaLawyer (TNL), the group accused President Buhari of Politicizing the process and undermining the integrity of the Apex Court.

The Group recalls that in October 2019, the National Judicial Council (NJC) submitted a list of four (4) serving Justices of the Court of Appeal, – Justices Adamu Jauro, Emmanuel A. Agim, Samuel Oseji and Helen M. Ogunwumiju to President Buhari but same were not forwarded to the Senate and by mid-August 2020, the NJC again submitted another list of four (4) Justices of the Court of Appeal to President Buhari. The four comprise Justices Lawal Garba, Addu Aboki, I. M. M. Saulawa and Tijjani Abubakar.

On the 31st of August 2020, the President submitted the names of the first and second sets of nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

According to the group, the delay for sending the first set of nominees is suspicious. “While it took (about) 11 months for Nigeria’s President to send names of the first set of nominees for Supreme Court positions to the Senate for confirmation, it took just about two (2) weeks to do so for the latter set of nominees. The Presidency has offered no explanations whatever for what is a huge and remarkable contrast in the pace with which it acted on the recommendations of the NJC with respect to both sets of nominations.” the statement read

Access to Justice also faulted the entire nomination process on the basis that the NJC and Federal Judicial Service Commission did not make publicity for vacancies, alongside offering an opportunity and level playing field to every qualified person to be considered for selection as Supreme Court Justice.

Furthermore, the group alleged that the delay by president Buhari has not only political undertone, but is aimed at determining the seniority of the nominees. They fear that such is a dangerous precedent that me be followed by subsequent President

The statement reads in part:

“The impression all of this creates is that the President was set on manipulating how the Supreme Court is configured, politically and ethnically, now and for the near future; he wanted to determine how seniority amongst the Justices of the Supreme Court is ordered as well as which Justices of the Court can be expected to succeed to the highest judicial office as Chief Justice of Nigeria. The President’s letter to the Senate makes specific mention of the confirmation being “according to their ranking of seniority at the Court of Appeal”.

“The conduct of the entire process leads to the conclusion that the Presidency had withheld from seeking the confirmation of, and making the appointments of the FOUR Justices whose names were on the first set of recommendations from the NJC simply because it was targeting the inclusion of further names for appointment to the Supreme Court – names that were not included in the first list. Furthermore, that the President was willing to wait out the occurrence of that event, as well as ensure that its targets did not lose their comparable rankings with earlier nominated persons notwithstanding that the Supreme Court was almost collapsing with overbearing workloads due to its lean workforce. The President has also created unpalatable public suspicions about his motives for delaying the Supreme Court appointments, and, in fact, some sections of the public have alleged there is a quid pro quo motive involved in it.

“The Presidency’s interference with appointments into Supreme Court appointments further undermines the integrity and independence of the court, and politicizes membership of a court that ought to be a neutral, impartial, non-partisan and non-political institution.

“The precedent the President has set will diminish the stature of the Supreme Court, as well as promote similar efforts in the future to manipulate the appointment process along lines of vested – or opportunistic – interests. The President’s actions have even created suspicions about the independence of Supreme Court Justices and could very well kindle in-fighting and jostling within the Court itself. His antics speak also to blackmail; the President tells the Judiciary that if his favoured names are not submitted for appointment, no other persons recommended to him by the NJC will be appointed into the Supreme Court. And the Judiciary apparently got the message!

“The Presidency has abused its powers of the appointment of Supreme Court Justices, belittling it also by antics which only serve overarching parochial, selfish interests. While the President has often voiced support for judicial reform and respect for the Judiciary, what he does in actual fact belie the rhetoric. President Buhari has inflicted incalculable long-term damage to the integrity and independence of the Judiciary in Nigeria.”

The commercial Lagos State of Lagos is currently under heavy violence as Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force on Thursday brutalised a photojournalist with The PUNCH, Kayode Jaiyeola.

EyewitnessMedia gathered that Jaiyeola was attacked by heavily armed policemen while covering an October 1 protest in Lagos State.

Details later…..

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on Friday, reversed the tribunal judgement that sacked Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and ordered fresh election in the state.In a unanimous judgement by a five-man panel of Justices led by Justice Adzira Gana Mshella, the appellate court held that the majority verdict of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that invalidated Diri’s election was “perverse” and “contemptuous of the law”.

 Justice Obande Festus Ogbuinya, who read the lead judgement of the appellate court, held that the tribunal wrongfully evaluated the petition the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party, ANDP, filed to challenge its alleged unlawful exclusion from the governoship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The appellate court said there was enough evidence to prove that ANDP nominated underage candidates for the election, in breach of sections 177, 182 and 187 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Besides, it held that the petition ANDP filed before the tribunal was not only statute-barred, but also a pre-election matter that was outside the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

It noted that whereas section 285(9) of the Constitution made it mandatory that the issue of disqualification of candidates, being a pre-election matter, must be filed within 14 days after the cause of action arose, ANDP, filed its petition at the tribunal, five months after its deputy Governorship candidate was disqualified by INEC.

The appellate court held that the case of ANDP had become “stale” and “soured” before it lodged he petition on February 26.

“The case of the 1st Respondent was marooned in the ocean of statute bar. The cause of action had expired with the effluxion of time.

“The tribunal therefore lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain it. The subject matter of the petition was outside the jurisdiction of the tribunal”, Justice Ogbuinya held.

Consequently, the appellate court made an order that set aside the majority judgement of the tribunal which it said was “trapped in the web of nullity”, even as it upheld the minority verdict of the tribunal.

“It will smack of judicial sacrilege to allow the decision of the tribunal to stand”, the appellate court added.

It will be recalled that the tribunal had on August 17, in a majority judgement by two out of the three-man panel of Justices, voided the outcome of the Bayelsa state gubernatorial election.

Two members of the panel, Justices Sikiru Owodunni and Yunusa Musa, said they found merit in ANDP’s contention that it was unlawfully excluded from participating in the governorship election by INEC.

Justice Musa who read the lead judgement held that the tribunal was satisfied that INEC illegally excluded ANDP and its governorship candidate, King George, from the election.

However, in a dissenting judgement, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo, affirmed governor Diri’s election after he dismissed the petition for being statute-barred.

Justice Sirajo said there was evidence that ANDP was disqualified from the election for fielding an ineligible candidate.

He noted that the party nominated an underage deputy governorship candidate, who admitted that he was 34 years old, instead of the 35 years age bracket the Constitution stipulated.

In his appeal, governor Diri had insisted that the majority judgment of the tribunal was “manifestly against the weight of evidence.”

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania have tested positive for coronavirus

President Donald Trump has tweeted to say he and First Lady Melania have tested positive for coronavirus.

‘We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!’ he wrote.

The president is 74, putting him at higher risk of serious complications from the virus. In his 2019 physical, Mr Trump also met the technical threshold for obesity, which is considered another risk factor. .

A statement from the White House doctor said both the president and first lady are ‘well at this time’ but did not say if either have symptoms.

The First Lady also tweeted to say the pair were feeling well.

The federal government has directed the reopening of all schools, Speaking at a media briefing on Friday, Adamu Adamu, minister of education, said ”unity schools” are to reopen on October 12 while private and state schools will determine their own opening schedule.

“We have consulted widely with all stakeholders in the education sector. Our eyes and ears are opened to the international media. I’m glad to report that there has not been any single case of COVID-19 in all Unity Schools. No single fatality among the students,” he said.

“We have come to the conclusion that we have to review our decisions. After consultation with PTF, we have resolved that our Unity Schools be opened on October 12, 2020.”Advertisement

The minister asked academic institutions to maintain strict compliance with COVID-19 protocol.

In March, the federal government directed the closure of all schools following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

Some states had already reopened their institutions of learning.