Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has warned that a “hunger riot” could soon erupt in Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to take swift action. On Tuesday, Agbakoba revealed this while speaking to journalists in his Ikoyi, Lagos office.

He pointed out that extreme poverty prevents the majority of Nigerians from affording basic necessities like food.

Agbakoba also highlighted that this situation persists despite the country’s abundant oil and gas resources, which he claimed have been commandeered by foreigners.

Agbakoba insisted that Nigeria must prevent the masses from being driven to the point of taking to the streets due to hunger.

He warned that hungry people might start entering houses and shops in broad daylight to steal food.

“Hunger riot can occur anytime in Nigeria,” Agbakoba advised Tinubu to restructure his cabinet and cut the cost of governance.

“President Tinubu needs to dismantle the cabinet. Having over 40 ministers is too large. We don’t need more than 20 ministries,” he remarked.

The legal practitioner urged Tinubu to eliminate certain government agencies and broaden the tax base, claiming that some multinational oil companies are evading taxes.

Read also: Petrol prices hike to ₦937 per Litre, NBS reports

As food inflation surged to 40.66 percent in May, Nigerians are finding it increasingly difficult to feed themselves.

The cost of food surged by 61 per cent, climbing from 25.25 per cent in June 2023 to 40.66 per cent in May 2024. This significant increase underscores a steady rise in the cost of living. The National Bureau of Statistics highlighted these trends in their latest Consumer Price Index and Inflation report.

The NBS revealed that headline inflation increased by 0.26 percent, rising to 33.95 percent from the 33.69 percent recorded in April.

Therefore, Agbakoba emphasized that we must urgently take action to prevent the impending hunger riots.

Rep. James Faleke (Ikeja Federal Constituency) urged Nigerians to address the cholera outbreak in parts of the country with the same urgency they did for the COVID-19 pandemic.

During an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, Faleke emphasized the importance of this approach.

Recently, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 53 deaths from cholera nationwide.

Dr. Jide Idris, the Director-General of NCDC, announced that the Federal Government has activated the National Emergency Operation Centre for cholera.

He mentioned, “As of June 24, 2024, 1,528 suspected cases and 53 deaths were recorded across 31 states and 107 LGAs with a case fatality rate of 3.5 percent since the beginning of the year.”

Reacting, Faleke urged Nigerians to take more action to curb the cholera outbreak.

“Every Nigerian needs to be careful; our attitude to cleanliness matters,” he pleaded.

Faleke encouraged Nigerians to exercise greater caution regarding their food and drink choices.

Don’t miss this: “Cholera Strikes Kirikiri Prison as Katsina Records 118 Suspected Cases”

Faleke encouraged Nigerians to exercise greater caution regarding their food and drink choices.

Source: NAN

On Sunday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, revealed that 25 cases of severe gastroenteritis, confirmed to be cholera, were reported at Kirikiri Medium Security Prison.

This development contradicts the Nigerian Correctional Service’s claim from Wednesday, June 26, 2024, that custodial centres nationwide were free of cholera.

NCoS spokesman, Abubakar Umar, told The PUNCH that routine hygienic measures implemented in correctional centres had effectively kept cholera at bay.

However, in a statement on Sunday, the commissioner reported that “a small outbreak of 25 cases of severe gastroenteritis confirmed to be caused by cholera.”. The statement was signed by Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

He announced that they had successfully implemented urgent medical and environmental measures.

At the same time, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported 118 suspected cholera cases in Katsina State.

According to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, as of June 24, 2024, there were 1,528 suspected cholera cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 53 deaths across 107 local government areas in 31 states, resulting in a case fatality rate of 3.5 percent since the start of the year.

Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos were the states most affected.

To combat the spread, President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of a multi-sectoral cabinet committee on epidemic control, led by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate.

Discussing the Lagos outbreak, Abayomi reported over the weekend that no new cholera-related deaths had been recorded in the last 72 hours. The government intensified its countermeasures to eliminate transmission.

He confirmed that while there was ongoing low-grade community transmission, the number of new daily cases and deaths had decreased.

Additionally, he noted that the interventions were proving effective as residents adhered to public health information, followed safety measures, and sought early medical attention when symptoms developed.

On the Kirikiri incident, Abayomi stated, “We supplied Kirikiri medium prison with intravenous fluids, infection prevention, and other health consumables.

“Additionally, the World Health Organisation donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals already delivered to the prison to support prison health facilities with prevention strategies for about 3,200 inmates if required.

“Immediate water and sanitation issues have been corrected and there are ongoing inspections of other correctional facilities in the state.”

Abayomi stated that investigators traced the original outbreak from two weeks ago to unregulated street beverages and a contaminated water supply.

Read also: Lagos, WHO partner to battle cholera outbreak at Kirikiri prison

“All the containers had no NAFDAC accreditation numbers, indicating they are small cottage backyard informal production units.

“Identifying the precise location of manufacture has proven difficult and the directorate of environmental health is planning to seal any such unregulated manufacture and make arrests of anybody involved with the manufacture or distribution of beverages without NAFDAC numbers,” Abayomi mentioned.

The commissioner reassured the public that there was no need to panic, expressing optimism that with ongoing collaboration, vigilance, and commitment from all stakeholders, the state is taking decisive action to combat and control cholera.

Meanwhile, in Katsina, Dr. Kabir Suleiman, the Director of Epidemiology at Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, reported that the 118 suspected cases all tested negative.

Source: The PUNCH

The Federal Government has terminated its contracts with Mothercat, RCC and Dantata & Sawoe for non-performance on the dualisation of the Obajana-Benin road project sections two, three and four.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this known in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, on Monday in Abuja.

Umahi said that the contracts were terminated due to a delay leading to the expiration of the contract, which had been awarded on Dec. 3, 2012.

”The Federal Ministry of Works has terminated contract numbers 6136, 6137 and 6138 with Mothercat Ltd, Dantata & Sawoe Construction Ltd and RCC Ltd., respectively.

”The projects affected by this termination are the dualisation of Obajana – Benin road and section II, (Okene – Auchi) in Kogi/Edo.

”Others are the dualisation of Obajana – Benin road, section III (Auchi – Ehor) and the dualisation of Obajana – Benin road section IV (Ehor – Benin) both in Edo.

”The termination of the said contracts became necessary in view of the inordinate delay of the affected companies in job performance,’’ he said.

Umahi said that it was also due to their failure, neglect, or refusal to fulfil their contractual obligations as required by the standard conditions of the contract.

”This has affected the timely completion of the projects, which has resulted in the expiration of the contracts by the passage of time.

”The projects which were awarded on Dec. 3 2012 were advertently abandoned by the contractors and no genuine commitment or good faith was shown towards executing the projects after accepting the considerations offered by the Federal Government.

”This thereby is exposing the road users to untold hardship due to the deplorable condition of the projects,’’ he said.

Umahi also said that engineers in charge have therefore been directed to take the necessary steps to do the needful and arrange with the affected companies for a joint measurement of work done so far.

”The Federal Ministry of Works under my watch will not condone acts of unseriousness and sabotage by contractors whose plan is to become a clog in the wheel of progress of the Renewed Hope administration.

”Going forward, the government will not hesitate in terminating all projects that are funded but are non-performing,’’ he said.

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, dismissed a N1 billion suit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the Federal Government and Department of State Services (DSS).

Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment, held that Kanu failed to provide credible evidence to back the alleged violation of his fundamental rights by the defendants.

Justice Omotosho held that the claims, that Kanu was denied unhindered access to his lawyers by the operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) and that the officials eavesdropped on his conversations with his lawyers in the preparation for his defence, could not be established.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IPOB leader through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, had sued the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), DSS and its DG as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

In the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1633/2023, dated and filed Dec. 4, 2023, the applicant prayed for eight reliefs.

He sought “a declaration that the respondents’ act of forcible seizure and photocopying of confidential legal documents pertaining to facilitating the preparation of his defence which were brought to him at the respondents’ detention facility by his lawyers, amounted to denial of his rights to be defended by legal practitioners of his own choice.”

He also sought a declaration that the respondents’ act of preventing his counsel from taking notes of details of the counsel’s professional discussions/consultations with him at DSS detention was unlawful.

He further sought a declaration that the respondents’ act of eavesdropping on his confidential consultations/conversations with his lawyers, amounted to denial of his right, among others.

Kanu, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining and prohibiting the respondents from their act of forcible seizure and photocopying of confidential legal documents brought to him at the detention facility by his lawyers.

He also sought an order mandating the respondents to jointly and severally pay the sum of N1 billion as damages for the mental, emotional, psychological and other damages he suffered as a result of his rights’ breach, among others.

But in a counter affidavit dated and filed by the DSS on March 12, the security outfit denied allegations levelled against it.

In the application deposed to by Yamuje Benye, a member of the Legal Department staff, he said 11 paragraphs in Kanu’s affidavit were untrue.

He averred that Kanu was in safe and secured custody of the DSS and that he was not detained in solitary confinement.

According to Benye, the applicant (Kanu) is allowed access to his family members and team of lawyers on his visiting days without any hindrance whatsoever.

He argued that the IPOB leader was permitted to interact and consult with his lawyers on his visiting days without any interference.

He said at no material time did any DSS personnel seize or confiscate documents brought to Kanu by his lawyers or any other person.

He added that their personnel never denied Kanu’s lawyers the professional liberty to perform their lawful duty of discussing, consulting and interacting with him.

“Applicant’s counsel are allowed to moderate size notes or pads for the visit, but the exchange of materials that promotes the IPOB ideals (subject matter of applicant’s criminal trial) was strongly resisted and refused.

Applicant has consistently requested that various prayer books and religious materials be brought to him as part of his fundamental human right;” he said.

Benye averred that Justice Binta Nyako, who is presiding over Kanu’s criminal trial, had always maintained that visits to him should always be under supervision as it is the best practice all over the world.

According to him, the applicant (Kanu), along with his counsel, was permitted to consult and interact on visiting days in one of the best interview facilities of the DSS to ensure maximum comfort of the applicant and his visitor(s).

The official, who denied allegations that the personnel usually record their interaction during visits, said “there is no basis for eavesdropping and recording of their conversations.”

He said, in line with the Service Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) of the State Security Service, all visitors to her facility are subjected to normal routine security checks and items in their possession are scanned.

According to him, this is to avoid unauthorised materials making their way into the facility.

Benye said the instant suit was an abuse of the court process, Kanu, having argued the same issues before Justice Nyako and the matter reserved for judgment.

The FRN and the AGF, in a counter affidavit, also urged the court to dismiss the suit for being an abuse of court process.