News
“Criminal Defamation Is a Serious Offence”, Jacob Idinye Cautions Fisayo Soyombo, Tells NUJ To Intervene
Two time governorship aspirant in Edo State, and public affairs analyst, High Chief Jacob Egietseme Idinye has taken a swipe at a “self-acclaimed” investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo over his allegation that seized items by men of the Nigeria Customs Service which are often paraded on air are later returned back to the owners after “money must have exchanged hands”.
Idinye who also berated Soyombo for discrediting journalists who cover Maritime sector, called on the Nigeria Union of Journalists to invite him (Soyombo) to substantiate his claims with prove and caution him for making further misleading comment and stop fabricating stories against Customs officers who have surpassed their targets in the discharge of their statutory duties.
During a press conference he addressed Saturday morning (April 6, 2024) at a popular hotel in Lagos, Idinye condemned the activities of people who are paid to do hatchet job with the intent to over heat the polity and upset the apple cart.
Idinye described criminal defamation as a serious offence and that no one should be allowed to infringe on other people’s right simply because they are hiding under the cover of “investigative journalism” which is at variance with the known professional ethical standards.
The Edo born politician who is also a winner of over 32 different professional awards in Maritime Reporting and Customs activities maintained that the Nigeria Customs Service under the leadership of Mr Wale Adeniyi (MFR), a thorough bred public servant has raised the bar of efficiency in public service and has turned around the fortunes of the service in terms of revenue generation, land border security as well as instilling discipline, patriotism and professional competence in all his personnel in the overall interest of the nation.
“The Nigerian extant rules are very clear on a matter like this, especially the provisions of Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, any person who publishes any defamatory matter is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for one year; and any person who publishes any defamatory matter knowing it to be false, is liable to imprisonment for two years. This remains sacrosanct. Nobody can hide behind his or her laptop to spread falsehoods and go about tarnishing the image of those who doing their best to protect our borders and wage war against economic saboteurs who don’t wish our nation well.”
“No Customs officer will go that low by returning seized contraband goods back to the owners. This is totally far from truth. Soyombo should be properly guided, and his sponsors, too, must be ready to face the full weight of the law. We can all recall that many of these seized items for example cars, are auctioned out in a most transparent manner and the revenue generated are remitted to the Federal Government bank accounts through the Federal Ministry of Finance in a most transparent manner. Most recently, some seized rice were sold out to the members of the public at a subsidized rate, but nothing was hidden. That is the way the service has been operating, and that excellent culture of openness, transparency, and accountability has never changed. So, the self-acclaimed investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, should tell the world where he is fabricating his own type of story, which is primarily based on falsehoods, insincerity and deception.
“This is one attack too many on his part. Discrediting journalists who cover the Maritime sector and Customs activities is totally unacceptable and should be sanctioned. This is also a wake up call to the highly revered leaders of the Nigeria Union of Journalists to look into this matter by inviting Soyombo to substantiate all his claims with prove and caution him for making further misleading comment and equally stop him for cooking up stories against customs personnel who have overtime surpassed their targets in the discharge of their statutory duties.
“So all those seizures evidently displayed on TV stations and newspapers across the country are fake? Later, the seized items would now be sold back to the alleged smugglers, according to Soyombo’s jaundiced estimation? This is so ridiculous and most unfortunate; social media is filled with all sorts of madness, and I think it should be regulated to an extent. We are not in a Banana Republic, Nigeria is a country governed by law, the so-called investigative journalist must be seen to be disciplined, decent, professional and socially responsible in his conduct in line with the professional ethical standards.” Idinye stated.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) says it has sealed off the Idera market in the Oshodi metropolis.
In a statement on Thursday, Ajayi Lukman, LAGESC spokesperson, said the agency sealed the market due to unhygienic practices and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which contravened the environmental law of the state.
He said the measure was taken to enforce adherence to environmental cleanliness across registered markets in the state.
‘‘Our operatives stationed across the Oshodi division during routine market monitoring identified the filth, unhygienic practices, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse around the Idera Market area, which prompted us to seal off the market until further notice,” the statement reads.
Lukman quoted Olaniyi Cole, the corps marshal of the agency, as decrying the level of hygiene at the market, which could lead to an outbreak of diseases.
He said Cole frowned at the inability of the market leadership to provide a valid waste collection contract, which resulted in the heaps of refuse in the facility.
He added that the display of wares for sale on road setbacks, lay-bys, medians, verges, kerbs, street trading, and hawking remained banned in the metropolis.
The LAGESC corps marshal reiterated the ban on the sales, distribution, and usage of styrofoam in the state, noting that anyone found culpable would be punished decisively.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Hours to the Edo State governorship election, the guber candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP)Amb Osalumese Areloegbe on Thursday morning collapsed the structure for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie Esq.
Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Benin City, Areloegbe said his decision to collapse the structure for the PDP candidate was because he believed that Ighodalo had all it would take to govern the state to greater heights.
According to him, I urged all my followers and supporters to disregard any information that I have aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
“I am supporting Asue Ighodalo because he is competent, not that I am not competent but I believe Asue is on the forefront. That is my reason for supporting his candidacy.
“My party is aware because they have been having a series of negotiations for us to align with the APC, and I told them categorically that I am supporting PDP. My eighteen local government followers are in full support of my decision, I mean 100 per cent supporting the PDP candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie in this election.
“My choice for Asue Ighodalo is because, apart from myself, I see him as the next better candidate that I can support and I can put my weight on because he has the capacity, mentally, physically and otherwise to pilot the affairs of Edo State to greater heights.
“The national secretariat of my party, APP – they are in Abuja and I am in the state, and know much more of what is happening in Edo State. They are not here and don’t know what is going on here in Edo. And I am in a position to tell them what will be better for the Edo people.
“There is a parable that says, ‘You cannot shave a man’s head when he is not present’. I am here in Edo State and I know who to support and why I am supporting him. The national leadership might have taken a different tone, but this is what I and my followers have chosen.
“We had a series of other politicians who had made such decisions before. That is why I agreed with the support of my supporters to collapse my structure for the governorship candidate of the PDP Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie.”
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A resident of Ifetedo in Osun State, simply identified as Idowu, had reportedly died in an incident of collapse building that occurred in the town.
The collapsed structure was said to be a dilapidated building that suddenly caved in and killed the woman.
A resident of Ifetedo, simply identified as Ogunyemi, while speaking to The PUNCH on Thursday, said operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, responding to a distress call, were at the scene of the incident.
Some NSCDC operatives rushed to the scene after they were informed of the incident. They were joined by some other people in the community.
Idowu was the only person in the building when the incident happened. She was brought out dead from the rubble.
“The incident caused panic in Omiloode Area, where the building is located. The building that collapsed is a dilapidated structure,” Ogunyemi said.
Osun NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Kehind Adeleke, when contacted confirmed the incident, adding that the scene was immediately cordoned off by security men.
“An abandoned dilapidated building located along Omiloode Street, Ifetedo collapsed and killed one Mrs Idowu, who was said to be around the structure when the incident happened.
“The tragic incident occurred at about 17:30 hours on Tuesday.
“Officers and men of NSCDC Ife South Division, upon getting information rushed to the scene of the incident for rescue operation. But unfortunately, the woman had passed on. She was brought out of the rubble dead. The site was immediately cordoned off,” Adeleke said.
LASG shuts down Idera market over ‘environmental pollution
Hours to Edo guber polls, major opposition candidate crumbles structure for Ighodalo
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