News & Announcements

Japan has said it will start considering COVID-19 as being equivalent to the seasonal common flu.

Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, announced on Friday that COVID-19 would be reclassified to disease category five from the current level two, which puts COVID-19 on the same level as Tuberculosis and SARS.

The new reclassification to category five, which would take effect in the Spring of 2023, will see the virus in the same category as the common flu and cold.

The shift means that wearing face masks will no longer be necessary in indoor public spaces and it also ends the need for infected people and close contacts to self-isolate.

“As we try to restore the lifestyles of a normal Japan, we would like to shift various measures step by step.

“In order to return to our ordinary daily life in Japan while pursuing measures to adapt to living with the coronavirus, we will study concrete measures to gradually move on to a next step,” Kishida was quoted as saying by Daily Mail UK.
Patients are, however, only to wear masks indoors if symptomatic.

Although, some Japanese experts have questioned the timing of the announcement, given that Covid cases were on the rise in recent times, with the current number of cases each day reportedly 338 per 100,000 people, a number that is up 40 percent from the previous week.

In recent weeks, there had also been an uptick in deaths correlated with a rise in infections in the elderly. Japan recorded 500 fatalities last Saturday.

“It’s still too early to tell if the current wave of infections has peaked,” the Director-General of Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Takaji Wakita, said at a panel session at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Tokyo on January 17.

Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC-PCC), has filed a suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the arrest of Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) joined the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Related Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/84/2023, which was filed after the 72-hour ultimatum he gave elapsed.

Recall that Keyamo had on 16 January issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Conduct of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest the opposition leader.

In a petition dated January 16, Keyamo asked the anti-graft agencies to arrest the former vice president on offenses of money laundering, breach of the code of conduct for public officers, conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust and misappropriation.

Keyamo anchored both his petition and suit on the allegations made by Michael Achimugu, who claimed to be a former aide to the PDP candidate.

Mr Achimugu, in a series of social media posts, accused Atiku of using Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) to commit financial fraud.

Keyamo, a serving minister of state for Labour and Employment, stated that Mr Achimugu provided substantial evidence to corroborate his allegations against the PDP candidate and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

With the expiration of the ultimatum and without any action taken by the anti-corruption agencies by 19 January, Keyamo, on Friday, filed his suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order compelling Atiku to surrender himself to the EFCC, ICPC, and CCB for thorough investigations.

He also sought an order compelling the agencies to arrest and prosecute Atiku.

Keyamo’s claims: In his statement of claim filed in the suit, Keyamo recalled that about in December 2, 2022, Mr Achimugu, acting like a whistleblower, went public and “gave graphic accounts of certain events that transpired between him and the 1st defendant (Atiku).”

He said Mr Achimugu also made available to the public a certified true copy of an affidavit to which he swore capturing the events of how the SPVs were used to commit financial fraud.

Keyamo, who reproduced Mr Achimugu’s affidavit dated December 2, 2022 in his statement of claim, said he also obtained the audio recording containing the voice of Atiku.

He said he immediately wrote to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants (CCB, ICPC and EFCC, respectively) drawing their attention to the facts stated by Mr Achimugu and urging them to act in accordance with their statutory powers and duties.

He, however, noted that despite acknowledging the petition, the anti-corruption agencies, from all indications, “are unwilling to investigate this matter.”

He added that Atiku had also not made himself available to the agencies “for the purpose of aiding their investigation, information available to him”.

Keyamo said Atiku has particularly not made information available to the agencies “in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu”.

He added that the PDP’s presidential candidate had yet to give information on how the said bank accounts “were used as a ‘Special Purpose Vehicles’ to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007” when he served as Nigeria’s vice president.

He said as a result of his training and legal practice, he knows that “several offences arise from the said facts.”

These offences, according to him, include offences of a breach of code of conduct for public officers, money laundering, criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation and conspiracy including criminal use of office for gratification

He, therefore, sought among others, a declaration that Atiku is “under a legal obligation” to make available to CCB, ICPC and EFCC for the purpose of aiding their investigation into the allegations.

Mr Keyamo also urged the court to declare that the agencies too are under a legal obligation “to invite and/or arrest, investigate and (if found wanting) prosecute” Mr Atiku.

Other prayers sought by the plaintiff are:

“A MANDATORY ORDER of this Honourable Court compelling the 1st Defendant to make available to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants, for the purpose of aiding their investigation, information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.

“A MANDATORY ORDER of this Honourable Court compelling the 1st Defendant to submit himself to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants for a thorough investigation in connection with information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.

“A MANDATORY ORDER of this Honourable Court compelling the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants to invite and/or arrest, investigate and (if found wanting) prosecute the 1st Defendant in respect of the information available to the 1st Defendant in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.”

Mr Keyamo said if the court refuses to grant his prayers “a grave crime and/or infraction of our laws would have gone undetected.”

The case has however, not been assigned to a judge.

Out of the six students that were abducted from the Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Alwaza, in the state’s Doma Local Government Area, the Nasarawa State Police Command reported on Saturday that it has freed two female students.

Six students kidnapped on Friday when gunmen broke into the school.

The two students’ rescue was confirmed in a statement released on Saturday in Lafia by state police spokeswoman Ramhan Nansel. According to him, Vision Judge and Peace Amos, two students, were saved on Saturday at Sabon Kwara village in the state’s Obi LGA.

The police and other security authorities applied consistent pressure on the kidnappers, he continued, which resulted in the rescue.

He said, “The Nasarawa State Police Command in collaboration with its sister security agencies rescued two females among the six pupils abducted yesterday (Friday) at LEA Primary School, Alwaza Village, Doma LGA. The victims have been taken to the hospital for medical examination and shall be handed over to the Doma LGA chairman to reunite them with their parents.”

Nansel continued by saying that attempts were being made to free the other students who were still being held captive unharmed and to apprehend those responsible.

In the Mkpuma Akataka hamlet in Ebonyi’s Izzi Local Government Area, gunmen killed two people on Friday.

Mrs. Grace Nwite, a local, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday that the neighborhood was attacked by hoodlums who shot randomly.

Nwite said, “They came into the community and started shooting. I heard that they came on a motorcycle.’’ 

NANreported that the hoodlums also killed Mr Charles Nwankwo, Commander of Ebubeagu (South-East security outfit) in Ogboji Ward, Ezza North LGA area of the state in his house.

Ebonyi Commander of Ebubeagu, Mr Friday Ujor, confirmed the killings. He said, “I know about the incident but I have not got the full details of the killings.’’

The state police spokesman, Chris Anyanwu, also confirmed the killing.

“There were shootings, but there is no proof of political motivation as being peddled now. I will get back to you after some clarification on that aspect,’’ Anyanwu told NAN.

The Nigerian Ports Authority’s personnel has received a pay raise granted by the federal government.

This was stated over the weekend at the long service award ceremony that the NPA management had organized by the Minister of Transportation Mu’azu Sambo.

Sambo praised the agency’s management for their dedication to the wellbeing of the workforce.

The Minister also praised Mohammad Bello-Koko, the managing director of NPA, for what he called his exceptional results in revenue generation and remittance.

He said, “In my median visit to the NPA upon resumption of office, as minister of transportation I was commending the NPA MD, for his unprecedented performance in revenue generation and remittance, he has solicited my backing and support to fast track the processes and procedures for the implementation of salary increase which I immediately acceded to and today I am delighted that it has been achieved.”

Sambo did, however, commend the winners and the entire NPA staff for their dedication.

“Let me also tell you that the ministry under my watch will continue to provide everything possible for the welfare of the staff of the ministry,” he added.

Earlier, NPA’s MD, Bello-Koko, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for helping to ensure staff compensation increases, stating, “We would like to take this occasion to thank everyone here for their assistance in helping to achieve salary increases for our hardworking workers.”

According to Bello-Koko, one of the management’s top priorities has been to provide the greatest human capital resource possible.

The agency would act well in this admirable cause, he continued.

“Our drive towards ensuring 100 per cent occupational health and safety for our staff which has resulted in the ISO certification of Calabar and Onne ports, and we are not relenting on it,” Bello-Koko said.

After a top health official stated that the vast majority of the populace has already been infected by the virus, China reported about 13,000 hospital fatalities linked to COVID between January 13 and January 19 across the country.

Since Beijing abruptly removed anti-virus regulations last month, there has been significant skepticism over official data. A week earlier, China claimed that approximately 60,000 people had died in hospitals from Covid as of January 12.

According to a statement released on Saturday by China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over the course of the period, 11,977 deaths from other diseases and infections were reported in addition to 681 hospitalized patients passing away from respiratory failure brought on by coronavirus infection.

The statistics do not reflect people who passed away at home due to the infection.

Over the Lunar New Year break, according to Airfinity, the number of Covid deaths per day in China would peak at over 36,000.

The company also calculated that since China abandoned the zero-Covid policy in December, more over 600,000 individuals have passed away from the disease.

Tens of millions of people have recently traveled across the nation in anticipation of long-awaited family reunions to commemorate the greatest festival in the lunar calendar, which happened on Sunday. This has caused concerns about new outbreaks.

Although millions of people will return to their villages to celebrate the Lunar New Year, a top health official predicted that China won’t see a second wave of COVID infections in the next two to three months because about 80% of the population has already contracted the virus.

“Although a large number of people travelling during the Spring Festival may promote the spread of the epidemic to a certain extent… the current wave of the epidemic has already infected about 80 per cent of the people in the country,” Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a post on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform on Saturday.

“In the short term, for example, in the next two to three months, the possibility of… a second wave of the epidemic across the country is very small.”

One of the largest global mass migrations of people is expected to occur this month and into February, according to China’s transport officials, which anticipate that over two billion trips would be made.

Following a gunman attack on the Igueben Train Station in Edo Central on January 7, 2023, the Nigerian Railway Corporation workers abducted over 20 passengers as well as two members of the staff. The Edo State Police Command has charged eight individuals in court.

In addition to announcing that all the victims had been saved, the police revealed on Wednesday that two village heads and five other people had been detained in connection with the crime.

According to a court document that our correspondent was given access to exclusively, the police have accused the suspects, Ibadin Hamilton, Ighoko Odion, Okojie Ewa, Okie Patrick, Friday Ighedujiemu, Halilu Umaru, Aminu Ibrahim, and Isah Aliyu, of criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.

The Legal Section State Criminal Investigation Department, Police Headquarters, Benin City, filed the accusation sheet dated January 17, 2023.

According to the paper, a group of men commanded by Odion, 62, Ewa, 58, Patrick, 42, Ighedujiemu, 51, Hamilton, 59, Umaru, 28, Ibrahim, 25, and Aliyu, 25, planned to kidnap the victims in order to demand N20 million from their families as a ransom.

Charge one reads, “That you Ighoko Odion, Okojie Ewa, Okie Patrick, Friday Ighedujiemu, Ibadin Hamilton, Halilu Umaru, Aminu Ibrahim, Isah Aliyu, and others now at large, on or about the 16th day of January, 2023 at about 12:00 hours at the Nigerian Rail Way Station, Igueben, Edo State, in the Benn Judicial Division, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Kidnapping and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5 and punishable under Section 2 (1) (2) of the Kidnapping Prohibition (Amendment) Law of Edo State, 2013.”

Count two reads, “That you Ighoko Odion, Okojie Ewa, Okie Patrick, Friday Ighedujiemu, Ibadin Hamilton, Halilu Umaru, Aminu Ibrahim, Isah Aliyu, and others now at large, on or about the 16th day of January, 2023 at about 12:00 hours at the Nigerian Rail Way Station, Igueben, Edo State, in the Benn Judicial Division, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapon, did attack and kidnapped passengers inside the train to an unknown destination till now with intent to receive ransom payment of N20,000,000.00 before release from your captivity and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 2 (1), (2) of the kidnapping Prohibition (Amendhent) Law of Edo State, 2013.”

According to a US-based election monitoring group, National Endowment for Democracy, the upcoming presidential election in Nigeria would not be foreseeable despite political complexities.

The US agency acknowledged that the Nigerian election of 2023 was “a momentous election,” praised Nigeria for its technology-driven voting system, and expressed confidence that Nigeria will be the second-largest democracy in the world by 2050.

During a conference organized by Yiaga Africa to engage with other stakeholders about the preparations for the 2023 general elections, Damon Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer of NED, made these statements in an interview with journalists in Abuja.

According to a source, the American Congress created NED in 1983 to advance global democracy. NED is a private, non-profit foundation whose mission is to develop and expand democratic institutions all over the world.

NED awards more than 2,000 grants annually to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating overseas that promote democracy in more than 100 nations.

Wilson stated, “Nigeria is the fifth largest democracy in the world; it is on track that by 2050 to be the second largest democracy in the world, even bigger than the United States. But it has got a consequential election coming up in less than 40 days, building on seven elections since the transition.

“And we have seen in this time a Nigerian democracy that has ousted incumbents, where term limits have been enforced, peaceful transitions have taken place and now we have seen a country that is poised to have a more technically effective election that has bolstered the authority, the Independent National Electoral Commission, that is tapping technologies to help ensure greater credibility to vote at a time around the world, where things are kind of tough for democracy and elections in a lot of places are heading to roadblocks. Nigeria is offering an example of a world of progress and momentum.

“There is a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm and we are looking to understand that to learn from that and to see how we can help support that.”

He also emphasized that his organization wasn’t there to make predictions about the outcome of the elections or the possibility of a run-off.

Wilson, however, expressed worry about the poor voter turnout in Nigerian elections.

He continued by saying that the present presidential contenders had made it difficult for Nigerians to predict who would win the election and that as a result, Nigeria’s democracy was actually improving substantially.

Wilson said, “It is not really my place to determine or predict the outcome of this election. I am a really interested observer and what I do see is that I watch relatively low voter turnout and your last election.

“And just by the conversations we are having, we do see a heightened level of engagement, heightened level interest, the fact that we’re less than 40 days out, and most Nigerians don’t know who’s going to win and they don’t know whether there’ll be a runoff.

“We have seen a surge of young voters being registered, I think in the last six months, INEC said they had seen in the last period, it was 70% of those being registered were under the youth category. It’s pretty dramatic, remarkable.

“So what I have learned over and over again is even when democracies and elections are imperfect elections become an opportunity for people to organize and express themselves. I have seen over and over again surprises and so I don’t know what is going to happen.

“That is kind of a beautiful thing for Nigeria, the largest democracy in Africa, to be going into an election, and you don’t know what’s going to happen. That is democracy and action. It is exciting and we are going to watch this.”

Wilson also expressed worry about the ongoing instability that exists in the nation in the run-up to the elections.

He said, “I guess there are two things happening; one is the overall security situation which has been difficult in the country, whether it is been insurgency or terrorism or just banditry, kidnapping, other sources of instability that you know very well.

“But the truth is about 10,000 Nigerians who have died over the past years from security incidents, that is extraordinarily high, and it does create a difficult environment where will people feel that they have got the security to be able to vote?

“What I was briefed on election related violence, which is much less election related violence is serious because it is targeted towards elections that we have seen political actors who have been, in some cases killed other places intimidated, INEC offices attacked and so what was really interesting from the briefings we saw was that Nigerians are organizing to be able to track this to document it to report it, to take it to authorities to see if security forces are understanding where were their efforts to intimidate and voter turnout four years ago, they can anticipate that today.

“So while this is a major issue, no doubt that I am hearing from Nigerians. I also see a lot of Nigerians focused on this issue of how they can actually provide a greater sense of security, how they can be better prepared, how they can anticipate where there are problems.

“And so ultimately, this is going to be an issue for this election but I am hopeful that it won’t be an issue that will be so disruptive. That said, anybody needs to feel secure to express their vote. That is a sacrosanct act in any democracy.”

Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, has dared Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP’s national chairman, to suspend him or any of the G-5 governors, claiming that they are exempt from the threat of suspension.

Speaking at the State PDP Campaign Council’s campaign flag-off event in Bori, Khana Local Government Area, he posed the challenge on Saturday.

When the Iyorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee (NWC) dissolved the Ekiti State executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Wike reacted by calling it an act of tyranny that will be legally contested.

He forewarned that the PDP National Working Committee’s use of tyranny would not benefit the party in the upcoming general elections.

Wike said that there were still PDP members who believed in the rule of law and that the party should uphold its constitution, which is why the dissolution of the Ekiti State working committee would be contested in court.

“Let me also use this opportunity to say to Iyorchia Ayu and his team, your dissolving Ekiti State Exco will not help you in anyway”,

He added, “Your suspending people will not help you in anyway. The battle line has been fully drawn. As I speak to you, we will do everything legally possible to challenge any decision we know is illegal.”

He emphasized that the PDP would suffer greater losses in the upcoming general election if the Ayu-led NWC resorted to dictatorship.

He further said; “So, don’t think you can threaten people by saying so, so persons have been suspended. Rubbish! Completely rubbish. We are above that level that you think you can threaten anybody, intimidate anybody with whatever illegal decision you have taken.”

He challenged Ayu and his allies to apply their autocratic impulses to the G-5 governors and see how they would fare.

“So, we are waiting for you to announce my own and any other of my friend. Like I have said, when a man says you will not sleep, he too, will he sleep? Will Ayu sleep? Will those his cohorts sleep? So don’t worry, we have the capacity to pay back. We have the capacity to tell you that enough is enough,” he told Ayu.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) has used the big stick against some party members for alleged anti-party conduct.

Additionally, it announced the dissolution of the Ekiti State Executive Committee and the formation of a caretaker committee to manage party operations in the state on a daily basis.

This was said in a statement released late on Friday in Abuja and signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba.

Ologunagba said in the statement, “ After a very extensive review and consideration of the affairs of our Party in the country, pursuant to the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) approved the suspension of Senator Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu State) and Chief Chris Ogbu (Imo State) with effect from today, Friday, January 20, 2023, over allegations of anti-party activities.

“The suspended members in Ekiti State are;

1. Ayeni Funso -(Ekiti North)

2. Ajijola Lateef Oladimeji -(Ekiti Central) 

Others are;

1. Emiola Adenike Jennifer -(Ekiti South II)

2. Ajayi Babatunde Samuel -(Ekiti North II)

3. Olayinka James Olalere -(Ekiti Central)

4. Akerele Oluyinka -(Ekiti North I)

5. Fayose Oluwajomiloju John -(Ekiti Central I)

“The PDP urges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our Party across the country to remain united and focused on the mission of our Party to Rescue, Rebuild and Redirect our nation from misrule.”

In a related development, Ologunagba in a separate statement said, “Following the recent developments in the Ekiti State Chapter of our great Party, the NWC after careful deliberations and extensive consultations, on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and pursuant to Sections 29(2)(b) and 31(2)(e) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), has dissolved the PDP Ekiti State Executive Committee with immediate effect.

“In its place, the NWC, on behalf of NEC has approved the appointment of Ekiti State Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the Party in the State for a period of three (3) months effective from today Friday, January 20, 2023 and to function pursuant to Section 24(2) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).

“The NWC also approved the appointment of Arch. Sadiq Obanoyen as Chairman of the PDP Ekiti State Caretaker Committee.

“The PDP urges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our Party in Ekiti State to remain united and focused on the task ahead.”