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Outrage As FG Demolishes 12 Lagos Churches On Alleged Illegal Plots

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There has been outrage over the demolition of 12 churches on 2nd Avenue, FESTAC Town, Lagos State, by officials of the Federal Housing Authority.

It was learnt that the demolition started around 5 am and continued till around 3 pm.

The leader of the Gate of Righteousness Evangelical International Church, Pastor Joshua Obong, said he started his ministry in the community 18 years ago and wondered why his church was targeted for demolition.

He said, “The officials first came last week and started marking our buildings. After they were done, they left and returned two days later. That was when they gave us a seven-day notice, which expired last Wednesday.

“On Sunday morning, around 5 am, we suddenly saw bulldozers at the First Gate, FESTAC Town. They got to my church at exactly 11 am; they demolished all the churches along the road, except the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Communion Chapel and CPM, which they spared. All other churches were brought down.”

Obong said there was no other warning prior to the seven-day notice.

He claimed that the government took advantage of the strike action by judicial workers, adding that nobody could approach the court for injunctions to stop the demolition.

“We wrote to them, seeking extension of time, but the letter was not even acknowledged,” he added.

The Overseer of Christ Gospel Church International, Pastor William Ehiorenren, said a senior government official had advised them to send a lawyer to Abuja to sort out the matter.

He stated, “He promised that they would not touch any church till the lawyer returned. Our lawyer was still in Abuja when they came on Sunday, a day of service, and demolished our churches. The lawyer called all their staff members, but they switched off their phones.

“We heard that they want to re-allocate the land and sell to moneybags and make millions. I have not seen where seven days would be given for people to vacate their property.

“We have been in that area for years and we spent millions of naira in building our churches. They could not even give us time to move, because they had mapped out their evil plan to sell the land to people.”

Ehiorenren said his church usually paid tenancy rates to landlords, who he claimed had legal claims to the land.

The cleric accused the government of leaving certain churches because their leaders had political connections.

He explained that his church was not served any notice of demolition.

The Deputy Director, Social Security, and Intergovernmental Relations, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Lagos State, Pastor Barnabas Otoibhi, said 12 churches were demolished by the government.

He explained that the owners of the churches cleared a swamp and built their structures, adding that the affected worship centers had been in the community for between 13 and 20 years.

According to him, the government accused the pastors of “encroachment and erecting illegal structures.”

Otoibhi, however, queried why the demolition was carried out without adequate notice and while some of the occupants were asleep.

He said, “We are wondering why the government would do this on a Sunday. Are they now working on Sundays? Is it the government that is doing this or somebody that is powerful in government or a politician is behind this?

“The notice they sent to them, they called it final notice, without serving them any previous letter. We asked that they should be given time. We were discussing this when the bulldozers came in on Sunday morning. The first church was pulled down at exactly 5.45 am.

Aside from the churches, they also cleared those selling cars in that line. Only a few buildings were spared.”

The cleric said a protest was planned for today (Tuesday) to kick against the “shabby manner” in which the churches were treated.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, did not take his calls or respond to a text message from our correspondent over the matter.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, FHA, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, did not take his calls, which rang out several times.

However, an official of the agency, who did not identify himself, said the government would address the matter during a press conference on Wednesday.

He explained that the government was in the process of restoring FESTAC Town to its original plan.

“Ask those people for their letters of allocation and approved building plans. They don’t have them. So, if you have been staying on somebody’s land illegally for over 15 years, how does the person owe you adequate notice? What notice are they talking about?” he queried.

 

BIG STORY

Nigeria Has Saved $20bn From Subsidy Removal, Naira Float Policies — Finance Minister Edun

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Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria has saved $20 billion from “petrol” subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.

Edun spoke at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.

“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on “PMS”; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP,” he said.

“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.”

Edun said these flows now return into the government’s coffers for further deployment to the aforementioned sectors.

“The real change that has happened with the measures of Mr. President is that nobody can wake up and their target for the day or for the week or the month or the year is to get access to cheap funding, cheap funding exchange from central bank, which they can now flip,” Edun said.

“And overnight, they become wealthy from no value added for doing virtually nothing, except you know the right people. Similarly, they can no longer try and be part of a new peak market and very inefficient “petrol” subsidy regime as a way of making money overnight.”

On May 29, President Bola Tinubu said the “petrol” subsidy regime was over.

Three months later, TheCable reported that Tinubu was considering a “temporary subsidy” on “petrol” as crude oil prices and foreign exchange rates soared.

After several denials of the return of “petrol” subsidy by the authorities, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, on August 19, said the federal government owes it N7.8 trillion for under-recovery.

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BIG STORY

Dangote Refinery Reduces Ex-Depot Price Of Petrol To N970 For Oil Marketers

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The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in its ex-depot price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as “petrol”, to N970 per litre for oil marketers.

This is a cut from the refinery’s N990 ex-depot price announced earlier this month, according to a statement on Sunday.

The slash would help marketers save about N20 on each litre of “petrol” bought from the Lekki-based plant.

Anthony Chiejina, Dangote Group’s chief branding and communications officer, said the move is the refinery’s way of appreciating Nigerians “for their unwavering support in making the refinery a dream come true”.

“In addition, this is to thank the government for their support as this will complement the measures put in place to encourage domestic enterprise for our collective well-being,” the statement reads.

“While the refinery would not compromise on the quality of its petroleum products, we assure you of best quality products that are environmentally friendly and sustainable.”

“We are determined to keep ramping up production to meet and surpass our domestic fuel consumption; thus, dispelling any fear of a shortfall in supply.”

On November 11, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) reached an agreement with the refinery to lift “petrol” and “diesel” directly.

Abubakar Garima, national president of IPMAN, said the partnership would ensure a steady, affordable supply of “PMS” products nationwide.

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BIG STORY

Dismissed Edo Policewoman Threatens To Kill Self, Children

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Inspector Edith Uduma, a former police officer in Edo State, is facing a tough situation after exposing a colleague, Sergeant Abraham, for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl at the police station, she was dismissed from the police force.

Uduma claims the dismissal was unfair and that the public hasn’t heard her side of the story.

The incident was captured in a viral video she took in October, showing Sergeant Abraham in a compromising position with the minor.

The situation has taken a drastic turn, with Uduma threatening to harm herself and her children.

It was learnt from the police that both officers were later dismissed following an orderly room trial.

The Edo State Police Command, in a statement released in November by its Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, alleged that Uduma conspired with her husband, Inspector Ibrahim Mohammed, to extort N1m from Abraham to cover up the incident. When Abraham reportedly offered N45,000 instead, the video was leaked online, the police claimed.

The command said, “That, contrary to reports from certain quarters, the said female police officer, AP/no 228719 Insp. Edith Uduma, was the Charge Room Officer on October 7, 2024, the night F/No. 504694 Sgt Abraham allegedly raped a female suspect in the station.

“The female officer, instead of reporting the incident to the Divisional Police Officer or the Incident Duty Officer as the case may be, for disciplinary actions to be initiated against the erring officer, took advantage of the situation to enrich herself by calling her husband, AP No. 228652 Insp. Ibrahim Mohammed, whom she conspired with to unlawfully demand the sum of N1m from the sergeant to assist him in concealing the matter.

“Following these events, an orderly room trial was initiated against all the officers, which led to the dismissal of Sgt. Abraham and Insp Edith Uduma.”

Uduma’s husband was also demoted to the rank of Sergeant.

However, Uduma denied the allegations in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Saturday, insisting she never extorted money and that she was not given a fair hearing. She alleged that her dismissal was orchestrated because she lacked influential connections.

Uduma who threatened to kill herself if she didn’t get justice said, “What the Edo Command is saying is not what happened. They know I have no rank or support to fight back,” Uduma said.

She further revealed that the Force Headquarters in Abuja was still investigating the matter only for the Edo command to hurriedly dismiss her.

“I want justice. My dismissal is unjust,” she said tearfully.

She said her husband who was also sanctioned had no connection to the matter.

“He (my husband) used to bring something for me to eat. He brought food that time to the station.

“If Nigerians refuse to listen to me – because my husband has been in detention, and they have been looking for me to arrest me, to charge me to court – if Nigeria refuses to listen to me, I will just poison all my children and myself. I will die. Because I’m just stranded like this,” she said, noting she had been in hiding and had not seen her children in a long time due to the incident.

She alleged that the DPO at the station prompted her to ask Sergeant Ibrahim for the N1m for negotiation when the sergeant reportedly disappeared after the incident, noting that this was to lure the suspect to show up.

According to her, she is surprised how the DPO and other officers allegedly turned the matter against her.

“If the police force can do this to a police officer, how much more to the innocent and civilians?”

The spokesperson for the Edo command, Moses Yamu, has not responded to calls and a text message put across to him on Sunday.

It was gathered that the then Divisional Police Officer of the station at the time the incident occurred, SP Lilian Osemwegie, has now retired.

A call was put across to a number said to be hers but a woman who responded after a question from our respondent, said, “Wrong number, wrong number.”

In a statement made available on Friday, a human rights group, Take It Back Movement, petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over what it described as the unjust dismissal of the female police officer and reduction in rank of her husband for reporting the alleged rape case.

The petition titled, “Petition For Review and Reinstatement, Unjust Dismissal From Nigeria Police Force” was released by the TIB Abuja branch and signed by the Federal Capital Teriitory Coordinator of the group, Robert Ande.

“We humbly submit this petition to seek your intervention in the gross injustice perpetrated against Mrs Edith Uduma and her husband (Mohamed Ibrahim) with Force No.: AP/NO 228652 by the Edo State Police Command.

“Her dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force and the deduction of the rank of her husband from (Inspector to CPL) was unjust, and we request a thorough review of her case,” the petition read in part.

“Instead of commending her actions, she was dismissed, and her husband, Inspector Ibrahim Muhammad, was arrested and detained,” the group added, adding that the command’s action was capable of “hindering investigations and protecting the perpetrator of the rape.”

 

Credit: The Punch

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