Headlines
Please Pardon Dariye and Nyame, Jonah Jang Begs Buhari
Jonah Jang, former Plateau governor, and Istifanus Gyang, senator representing Plateau North, have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate the release of former governor Joshua Dariye from prison.
NAN reports that the duo made the appeal on Sunday in Jos, Plateau state capital.
The politicians asked the president to grant Dariye “executive pardon on compassionate ground”, noting that his health is deteriorating.
The supreme court had on March 12 upheld Dariye’s conviction over criminal breach of trust, which attracted a 10-year jail. The court, had, however, quashed the charge bordering on criminal misappropriation of public funds.
Jang also appealed that Jolly Nyame, former governor of Taraba, should be granted state pardon, having served part of his jail term.
In February 2020, the supreme court had affirmed the judgment of the court of appeal which handed Nyame a 12- year jail sentence.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Nyame with abuse of office. He was accused of diverting N1.64 billion during his tenure as governor of Taraba between 1999 and 2007.
Speaking in the same vein, Gabriel Suswam, senator representing Benue North, backed the call for the release of Dariye and Nyame.
“You both have my full support for this call. I think they deserve to be pardoned, particularly at this point in time,” he said.
“I join them to call on the president to pardon these two gentlemen on compassionate ground.”
TheCable
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
