News Headlines for the 13th of April 2021.

Table of Contents

Cells overcrowded as JUSUN strike enters second week

The Nigeria Police Force has lamented the strike embarked on by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria even as it continues to battle overcrowding at its detention facilities.
Judiciary workers had last Tuesday embarked on the indefinite nationwide strike in protest against the denial of the judiciary its constitutionally-guaranteed financial autonomy which was also affirmed by a Federal High Court in January 2014.
The strike has prevented the police and other law enforcement agencies from arraigning suspects in courts, which have remained shut since last week.
Speaking with our correspondence on Monday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba, said the acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, had ordered commissioners of police to ensure that unnecessary arrests were avoided.
Mba, who described the strike as unfortunate, said the IGP ordered that alternative dispute resolution should be explored in certain cases while administrative bail should be given where possible.

There were fireworks as the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, on Monday appeared before the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on the Need to Review the Purchase, Use and Control of Arms, Ammunition and Related Hardware by Military, Paramilitary and Other Law Enforcement Agencies.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, appeared before the committee. He was represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Sanusi Lemu.

The committee had no less than two times invited Attahiru and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to answer questions on the procurement of arms and ammunition.

During Attahiru’s appearance on Monday, the lawmakers demanded an apology from him. The COAS, however, declined to tender the apology saying that he was either in the North-East to serve Nigeria or in the South-South, trying to ensure stability within Nigeria.

VICE-President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday disclosed that the Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, is already working on the local production of COVID-19 vaccine.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, the Vice-President spoke while representing the President, Muhammadu Buhari virtually at a forum organised by the Nigerian Academy of Engineering.
The presidential aide said giving an update on the production of a local vaccine, Osinbajo noted that the African Centre of Excellence for the Genomics of Infectious Disease located at Redeemer’s University, Ede, has “developed an efficacious rapid test for COVID and has been working on a vaccine in collaboration with DIOSynVax (Digital Immune Optimised Synthetic Vaccines), Cambridge UK, using the DIOSynVax genomic-based technology.
Describing Nigerian scientists as worthy assets to be nurtured, Osinbajo said the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the potentials, talents, and creativity of the scientists.

The Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State has appointed the Vice Chairman, Sulaimon Yusuf, as the acting chairman of the council following the suspension of the substantive chairman, Tajudeen Ajide, for alleged N60m fraud.
This is according to a letter dated April 12, 2021 and signed by the nine councillors at the local government.
Ajide was last week suspended for alleged financial impropriety and spending N60m without budgetary approval.
In its resolution contained in a document, the councillors alleged that the chairman awarded all contracts to only two companies, a development which was described as suspicious.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has said that households and businesses affected by the COVID-19 can now apply for loans under its N50bn Targeted Credit Facility.
It said the stimulus package was to support households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that beneficiaries could access up to N25m.
This was disclosed in a tweet on Monday by the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Microfinance Bank.
The NIRSAL microfinance bank stated that interested households and businesses could apply via link posted in the tweet.