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Apostle Suleman Raises Alarm Over Killing Of Arrested Suspect, Accuses Police Of Coverup

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The founder and Senior Pastor of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has questioned the police for allegedly killing the arrested prime suspect involved in the Friday attack on his convoy.
 
Recall that the ugly incident led to the death of three policemen, two drivers, and two others making a total of seven deaths.
 
Gunmen on Friday attacked a convoy of popular and fairy clerics in Edo state.
 
The police while confirming the incident said the apostle was safe and protected.  
 
According to the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, while the apostle escaped unhurt,  three policemen and two civilian drivers attached to the Apostle were killed in the attack.
 
The police also confirmed the killing of a domestic worker while it is still in search of a second domestic worker.
 
The police command further disclosed that the DPO of Auchi Division and his team mobilized to the scene of the incident when the information got to the and brought down one of the gunmen.
 
A manhunt for the fleeing criminals is currently ongoing.
 
Sources said the attack came when Suleman was returning from a foreign trip. The gunmen laid ambush for him along the Benin-Auchi road.
 
The apostle has been very vocal about the state of affairs in the country, particularly the dwindling economy and general poor leadership.
 
He had spoken severally against the issue of the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress and had taken a position on the side of equity and justice.
 
He had recently called on Christians to reject the alleged plot to Islamize Nigeria. 
 
The apostle had in the past been involved in different controversial news with allegations of having affairs with church members. He had since denied all the allegations and said he was not interested in what anyone said. He had told his transducers to go and hug the transformer.
 
 
But raising a fresh allegation Suleman, in a tweet, condemned the killing of the suspect who was handed over to the police alive, alleging that it was an attempt to cover up traces that could lead to those behind the attack.
 
The cleric’s tweet read, “Lies…there weren’t kidnappers… He was caught and handed over and the police killed him immediately. Why? Why kill him on the spot? Who is trying to cover up traces?” 
 
Also reacting, Suleman’s lawyer, Samuel Immune, demanded a thorough investigation into the case. He slammed the police for killing the suspect who was alive when the youths and the vigilante caught him and handed him over to the police.
 
He said, “As I speak with you now, I am with Apostle Suleman, and I am examining the vehicle in his compound. One of the boys was caught yesterday by vigilantes and he was handed over alive to the Auchi Police Division.
 
“But ironically, we don’t know what happened and the next thing we heard was that the police have shot him dead. I don’t know what the police would cook up later to be responsible for shooting him as the police station was not attacked by the youths.
 
“It was the youths in conjunction with the vigilante that arrested the boy and handed him over alive to the police. So, the only conspiracy theory that one can easily think of now is that was he (the policeman) acting under a superior order to have done what he has done?
 
“Was there any gang up or trace that they are trying to cover up? These are some of the theories God will help us unravel as time progresses. The police have not given us any official reason for shooting him dead.”
 
But Nwabuzor described the allegation that the suspect was handed over to the police alive but was shot dead, as an attempt to look down on the effort of the police 
 
He said, “That insinuation is just an attempt to malign the DPO in charge of Auchi. That is an attempt to dent all the work that they have done. During the attack, nobody knew anybody, and the police were there to prevent any form of attack on anybody.
 
“The police have a job to protect life and property; it is their constitutional duty. The action of the police was impromptu, the action was going on when the police attended to the distress call, and right there at the scene of the crime, everything took place.
 
“I never heard of any information that the suspect was handed over to the police. Let them (those who apprehended the suspect) come out and clarify that. That is not true, it is just hearsay; if anyone has a contrary opinion on that, let them come out and tell the world.”

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Federal Government To Grant Mining Licenses To Only Companies That Process Locally

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Nigeria will only grant new mining licences to companies that present a plan on how minerals would be processed locally, under new guidelines being developed, a government spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.

This is a departure from Nigeria’s long-standing practice of exporting raw commodities, as governments around Africa work to increase the value derived from their substantial mineral reserves.

To spur investment, Nigeria will offer investors incentives including tax waivers for importing mining equipment, make it easier to secure electricity generation licences, allow full repatriation of profits and boost security, Segun Tomori, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s minister of solid minerals development said.

“In exchange, we have to review their plans for setting up a plant and how they would add value to the Nigerian economy,” Tomori said. He did not say when the guidelines would be finalised or come into effect.

However, last week the minister of solid minerals development, Dele Alake, said it was now government policy to make value addition a condition for obtaining licences so as to create jobs and help local communities.

Alake, who also chairs an African mining strategy group comprising mining ministers from Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia, is pushing for a continent-wide effort to get maximum local benefit from mineral exploration.

Nigeria, Africa’s top energy producer, has struggled to extract value from its vast mineral resources due to poor incentives and neglect. The underdeveloped mining sector contributes less than 1% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Last year Nigeria exported mostly tin ore and concentrates worth about 137.59 billion naira ($108.34 million), mainly to China and Malaysia, according to the country’s statistics bureau.

The government aims to drive more investment into the sector by issuing more licenses. It has set up a state-owned solid minerals corporation offering investors a 75% stake and established a special security unit tasked with fighting illegal miners.

The government is also trying to regulate artisanal miners, who dominate the sector, by grouping them into cooperatives.

Foreign mining companies operating in Nigeria include Canada-based Thor Explorations which is involved in gold exploration, Chinese-owned Xiang Hui International Mining which partnered with a local company to process gold, and Indian-owned African Natural Resources and Mines, which is building a $600m iron ore processing plant in northern Nigeria.

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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Felicitates President Tinubu At 72

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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his 72nd birthday, describing him as a brave, bold, and passionate leader who is dedicated to the advancement, growth, and development of Nigeria.

He said that President Tinubu’s contribution to the nation’s growth is cause for celebration, citing the President’s unparalleled bravery, integrity, honesty, and patriotism in his efforts to steer Nigeria’s ship in the correct path since he into office on May 29, 2023.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said President Tinubu has provided honest and transparent leadership in Nigeria by taking bold decisions to address challenges militating against the prosperity of Nigeria and Nigerians.

Sanwo-Olu further described the President as a visionary and master strategist whose democratic credentials are scholarly materials for study in political economy.

He said: “On behalf of my family, the government, the people of Lagos State,  members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), leaders, and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, I congratulate our leader, President Bola Tinubu, on the occasion of his 72nd birthday.

“President Tinubu has sacrificed the greater part of his life in the service of our dear State and Nigeria. He contributed to the enthronement of democracy and good governance, serving first as a Senator in the aborted third republic and later as a pro-democracy activist, working tirelessly as a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to struggle for the de-annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

“President Tinubu’s financial wizardry and economic intellect, which he put to good use as the Governor of Lagos State, have taken our dear state to a greater height. Today, Lagos is the pride of Nigeria, occupying an enviable position as the fifth largest economy in Africa.

“President Tinubu has made positive impacts in the country through the Renewed Hope agenda of his administration. His unblemished service and track record of impressive achievements in public office have made him a role model for many Nigerians.

“As President Tinubu celebrates his 72nd birthday, it is our prayer that God will grant him more prosperous years in good health and wisdom as he continues to serve our dear nation.”

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JUST IN: CBN Increases Banks Capital Base To N500bn, N200bn For National Commercial Banks

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The capital basis for commercial banks with international permission has been raised to N500 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The policy change was confirmed by Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, CBN’s acting director of corporate communications. in a declaration.

She added that commercial banks with regional authorization are expected to reach a capital floor of N50 billion, while those with national authority must meet a ceiling of N200 billion.

Announced on Thursday, March 28, 2024, this comprehensive financial reform requires significant increases in banks’ minimum capital bases, which vary depending on the size of the bank.

The latest policy directive specifies that commercial banks with international authorization are now required to shore up their capital base to N500 billion.

In a bid to tighten the financial fabric, the CBN has not overlooked merchant banks, which are now subject to a N50 billion minimum capital requirement.

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