BIG STORY

#EndSARS: No Massacre In Lekki, Says Nigerian Government

Published

4 years ago

November 19, 2020

The Federal Government on Thursday insisted that there was no massacre when soldiers dispersed #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos on October 20, 2020 as Nigerians and the international community are being made to believe.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this at a press conference in Abuja.

Mohammed who was joined at the briefing by heads of parastatals under his ministry attributed the reports of massacre to those he described as purveyors of fake news.

He said what was alleged to have happened could either be “social media massacre” or at best “massacre without bodies.”

The minister said, “While we await the judicial panel in Lagos to unravel what transpired at the Lekki Toll Gate, what we can say, based on testimonies available in the public space, is that the world may have just witnessed, for the very first time ever, a massacre without bodies!

“Some have tagged it ‘social media massacre.’ The testimony of Brig.-Gen, Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo of the Nigerian Army before the panel was compelling, and I am sure many of you have listened to or watched it.”

Relying heavily on Taiwo’s testimony, Mohammed insisted that soldiers at Lekki Toll Gate fired blank ammunition into the air and that could not have done any damage to the flesh, not to talk of killing anyone.

He challenged those who alleged massacre at the toll gate to appear before the judicial panel to the world or simply admit that they goofed.

The minister said, “Sadly, the purveyors of fake news and disinformation succeeded in deceiving the world that indeed there was mass killing in Lekki, even when, till date, not a single body has been produced and not a single family or relative has come out to say their child or ward was killed at Lekki.

“More surprising and irresponsible is the fact that some people have been calling for sanctions against Nigeria or against Nigerian government officials on the basis of a hoax.

“This is one of the dangers of fake news and disinformation. Once fake news is out, many run with it, without looking back, even when the truth is
eventually revealed.

“We, therefore, want to use this opportunity to ask those who have alleged massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate to go to the judicial panel to present their evidence(s) to the world or simply admit that they have goofed.”

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Related Topics:bigstory EndSARS Lai Mohammed Lekki Shooting

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BIG STORY

Two US-Based Nigerians Bag 30-Year Jail For $3.5m Romance Scam

Published

43 mins ago

November 26, 2024

PorscheClassy News

Two Nigerians, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, have been sentenced by a United States federal jury to a combined 30 years in prison for defrauding US citizens of $3.5 million.

The sentencing was announced in a press release made available on the US Department of Justice website on Monday.

According to the statement, Ibekie and Aniukwu deceived their victims by claiming they had received substantial inheritances that required money to be claimed. The duo would then ask the victims to send money with the promise of reimbursement once the inheritances were secured.

The statement also highlighted that the pair carried out romance scams, building online relationships with their victims to gain their trust, only to later demand money.

It read, “An undercover law enforcement investigation has resulted in federal prison sentences for two Nigerian nationals residing in the Chicago suburbs who conducted online inheritance scams and other fraud schemes.

“Using aliases, Anthony Emeka Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu communicated with victims throughout the United States, convincing them they had received substantial inheritances and needed to send money to individuals associated with the defendants in order to claim it.

“In addition to the inheritance scam, the pair carried out an online romance scam that involved communicating with victims via social media and dating websites, building trust with the victims through a purported online romance, and convincing them to send money to a predetermined recipient. Aniukwu and Ibekie also orchestrated a ‘business email compromise’ scam that targeted corporate email accounts.

“The fraud schemes were uncovered by a covert law enforcement investigation. The scams resulted in losses to victims of at least $3.5 million.”

The statement further noted that after facing at least 14 charges, Ibekie and Aniukwu pleaded guilty to the accusations. As a result, Ibekie was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday, while Aniukwu received a 10-year sentence on November 8.

The statement continued, “A federal jury earlier this year convicted Ibekie, 59, of Oswego, Ill., on all 14 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, making false statements to a bank, and passport fraud. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger on Thursday sentenced Ibekie to 20 years in federal prison.

“Aniukwu, 50, of Romeoville, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and money laundering charges. Judge Seeger on Nov. 8, 2024, sentenced Aniukwu to 10 years in prison.”

Meanwhile, an accomplice of Ibekie and Aniukwu, US citizen Jennifer Gosha, is set to be sentenced on December 18 following her guilty plea.

“A third defendant, Jennifer Gosha, 52, a U.S. citizen from Oak Park, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of wire fraud and making false statements to a federal agent. Gosha is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Seeger on December 18, 2024,” the statement concluded.

Post Views: 28

BIG STORY

JUST IN: Ebonyi Governor Suspends Health, Housing Commissioners Over “Gross Misconduct, Negligence Of Duty”

Published

2 hours ago

November 26, 2024

PorscheClassy News

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, has suspended the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, and his counterpart in Housing and Urban Development, Francis Ori.

The suspensions occurred on Monday during the State Executive Council meeting in Abakaliki, the state capital.

A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, on Tuesday morning, read, “Following cases of gross misconduct and dereliction of duties by some government officials and matters related thereto, the Chairman of Council directed the indefinite suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and three months suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Health respectively.”

Reports suggest that the suspensions may be linked to the alleged theft of government property by officials in the Ministry of Health and the reported underperformance of the Housing and Urban Development commissioner, particularly regarding his poor management of the Amaeze Housing Scheme in the Ishielu Local Government Area.

It is also recalled that the governor visited the health ministry’s premises on Saturday night, where six officials were allegedly caught diverting government materials. He subsequently ordered their arrest and prosecution.

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