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BREAKING: Reps Ask FG To Suspend Implementation Of Samoa Agreement

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The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to temporarily halt the implementation of the Samoa Agreement, pending an investigation into the controversial pact.

The lawmakers’ decision came after the adoption of a motion sponsored by Sani Madaki, the minority whip, and 87 other legislators.

The agreement, signed on June 28, has sparked intense debate and criticism following the discovery of provisions related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights, which some lawmakers argue were surreptitiously included in the agreement.

What Is Samoa Agreement?

According to the European Council, the Samoa Agreement is the overarching framework for European Union (EU) relations with African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries.

The agreement serves as a new legal framework for EU relations with 79 countries, including African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries.

The agreement covers six priority areas, which are democracy and human rights; sustainable economic growth and development; climate change; human and social development; peace and security; and migration and mobility.

The agreement was officially signed on November 15, 2023, by the EU and its member states and Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) members in Samoa, a country in Oceania.

Nigeria did not sign the agreement initially, as the federal government said it was still studying the pact.

The new agreement replaces the Cotonou Agreement, which was signed in 2000.

The signing of the agreement has been dogged with claims that it seeks to compel developing nations to support LGBTQ agitations.

The claims have been established to be false.

Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, clarified that the federal government ensured that the agreement did not contravene the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and other extant laws.

The government has also explained that the agreement is strictly for the economic development of the country — as against claims that it contains provisions for same-sex marriage.

Moving the motion, Madaki said the agreement violates the nation’s law on LGTBQ and same-sex marriage.

Supporting the motion, Ghali Tijani from Kano, said the house should reject the Samoa Agreement in its “entirety”.

Bello Kumo, majority whip, said the federal government should rescind the signing of agreement and tender an apology to Nigerians.

Kingsley Chinda, minority leader who is a co-sponsor of the motion, said the movers of the motion were not approving or condemning the agreement.

He asked his colleagues not to be “judgmental”, adding that the motion was calling for an investigation.

The lawmaker said the federal government should have carried the lawmakers along before signing the agreement.

“The problem is lack of information. We were not carried along,” he said.

Julius Ihonvbere, majority leader, told his colleagues that “there is no portion in the agreement that supports LGBTQ”.

As Ihonvbere spoke, his colleagues interrupted, shouting “no” in unison.

Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) passed in 2014 prohibits LGBT rights and criminalises marriage between people of the same sex.

Nigeria’s legal position on same-sex marriage was what fuelled the uproar that followed its signing of the Samoa Agreement.

BIG STORY

Ikorodu Teacher Arrested For Physically Abusing 3-Yr-Old Boy In Viral Video [SEE VIDEO]

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The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has confirmed the arrest of a teacher following a viral video showing the suspect allegedly physically abusing a three-year-old boy at a school in Ikorodu.

The announcement was made in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

The video, shared by Oyindamola, who identifies as #dammiedammie35, captured a female teacher slapping the child’s face.

The video was captioned, “Footage from Christ-Mitots School in Ikorodu, a teacher named Stella Nwadigo was witnessed mistreating and physically abusing a three-year-old boy, Abayomi Micheal.”

The footage has raised serious concerns about the safety and well-being of our little ones in school.”

Reacting to the incident, the Lagos DSVA issued a statement expressing gratitude to those who brought the video to their attention

The statement reads, “We appreciate everyone who brought the disturbing incident of a teacher who was recorded physically abusing a 3-year-old boy to our attention.

We are pleased to inform the public that the teacher in question has been arrested by Owutu FSU, and an investigation has commenced in earnest.

The agency reiterated the state government’s commitment to protecting children, emphasizing that schools must be safe and nurturing spaces.

The statement added, “Indeed, institutions of learning should be safe, warm, and protective environments for all children in their care.

The State Government remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of every child by enforcing strict regulations, holding offenders accountable, and working with stakeholders to promote a zero-tolerance policy for abuse in any form.”

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BIG STORY

China Development Bank Approves $254m Loan For Kano-Kaduna Railway Project

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The China Development Bank (CDB) has provided a loan of $254.76 million for the construction of the Kano-Kaduna railway project in Nigeria.

In a statement on Tuesday, the bank stated that the funding aims to support the smooth advancement of the infrastructure project.

The CDB highlighted that the construction is being undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), with financial support from the bank.

“The Kano-Kaduna railway, with a total length of 203 kilometers, is a standard-gauge railway,” the statement reads.

“Once completed, it will provide direct rail connectivity between Kano, an important northern city in Nigeria, and the country’s capital Abuja, offering local residents a safe, efficient, and convenient mode of transportation.”

In addition to enhancing mobility, the bank mentioned that the project is expected to stimulate economic growth along the railway corridor, generating job opportunities and promoting related industries.

“The Kano-Kaduna railway project has been included in the list of practical cooperation projects for the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation,” the CDB added.

The bank stated that the construction is progressing smoothly and reiterated its commitment to collaborating closely with the Nigerian government to ensure the disbursement of funds and effective management of the next phases of the project.

On July 15, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the construction of the Kano-Kaduna railway project.

The rail project is the third phase of the Lagos-Kano standard gauge railway modernization project.

The first phase (Abuja-Kaduna) and the second phase (Lagos-Ibadan) were inaugurated for commercial operations in July 2016 and June 2021, respectively.

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BIG STORY

ICPC Files Money Laundering Charge Against El-Rufai’s Former Commissioner

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged Muhammad Sa’idu, a former commissioner during the administration of Nasir el-Rufai, ex-governor of Kaduna, to court over alleged “money laundering.”

The Kaduna police command arrested Sa’idu over a petition for alleged diversion of public funds.

Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the ICPC’s assistant legal officer, filed the case against the former commissioner on Tuesday at the federal high court in Kaduna.

Sa’idu served as the commissioner of local government affairs, chief of staff, and commissioner of finance during the administration of el-Rufai.

The ICPC dismissed an earlier claim that Sa’idu had been exonerated of all charges after 10 months of investigation.

The former commissioner is charged alongside Ibrahim Muktar, a staff in the ministry of finance.

According to the suit No. FHC/KD/IC/2025, the defendants are charged on a two-count charge of “money laundering.”

“Sometime in March 2022 or thereabouts, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu, who at that time commissioner of finance, did accept cash payment of the sum of N155m from one Ibrahim Muktar exceeding the amount authorised by law, which sum you received in cash through proxy to wit: Muazu Abdu, your Special Assistant and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section2(a) and punishable under the Section 19(d) of the “Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” the charge sheet reads.

The ICPC also alleged that within the same period, Sa’idu “indirectly took control of the sum of N155m received in cash for and on behalf of you by one Muazu Abdul from Ibrahim Muktar, which he reasonably ought to have known, formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: corruption and you hereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the “Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The anti-graft agency noted that section 18(3) of the “Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022” states that “any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection(2) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than four years but not more than fourteen years or a fine not less than five times the value of the proceeds of the crime or both.”

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