Nigeria in Brief: Hushpuppi sentenced to 11 years in prison, Peter Obi will no longer attend debates, and other top stories

The Nigerian born Instagram Celebrity, Hushpuppi, has finally been sentenced behind bars for 11 years in the United States. A United States District Court Judge, Otis D. Wright II, for the Central District of California sentenced the 40 year-old Ramon Abass Olorunwa, popularly known as Hushpuppi, to 11 years and three months in prison. Judge Otis also ordered Abbas to pay $1,732,841 in restitution to two fraud victims. Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai, United Emirates, in June 2020, and has remained in US Federal Prisons after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

…

Political campaign has taken new dimensions on the road to 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria as the Supporters of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Mr. Peter Obi and his running mate, Dr. Ahmed Yusuf Datti, who are popularly referred to as the Obedients have declared a three-day car-rally  across the country. The car-rally which will begin in Ebonyi State, a considerably small state in Southeastern Nigeria, will be a 100km car drive featuring more than 100 cars. According to the organisers, the car-rally which is unlike anything ever seen in Nigeria, will take place on the 19^th and 26^th of November, and then end on the 3^rd of December, 2022.

…

The Fed government of Nigeria under the ministry of transportation has announced plans to restart train service operation on the Kaduna-Abuja passenger train. This is coming after about eight months since terrorists bombed the train corridor and kidnapped scores of victims. The Federal government had at the time suspended train services in order to rebuild and restrategise. While speaking to newsmen yesterday, the minister of transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo said that the federal government plans to link up the 36 states of the federation with rail network to enhance easy movement of goods and services across the country. Sambo assures commuters that the rail line has now been fortified with 24-hours security monitoring systems to ensure adequate protection of lives and properties of passengers on the train.

…

RELAED STORIES:

The only time Peter Obi ever got angry; see what he said to Dino Melaye

3 reasons Tinubu did not attend AriseTV presidential debate

PDP CRISIS: “I would rather die than support Atiku,” Ortom spits fire

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO, has retracted its decision on the security threat in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT.) The UK foreign office disclaimed this yesterday when speaking to newsmen. It noted that the embassy no longer advices against travel to the FCT, but warns that threats may still exist. We recall that on the 23^rd of October, the UK had advised her citizens against non-essential traveling to the FCT and environs because of an increased threat of terrorist attack in the country’s capital territory. It further restricted Nigerians access to the British High commission in Abuja. Meanwhile, the UK was not alone as other European embassies had earlier issued similar warning to her expatriates against traveling to Abuja. Both Canada, the US, and Germany had earlier taken the lead with the US going extra mile to evacuate her citizens. Nigeria has been a hive of terrorist attacks recently. Most attacks are conducted by Boko Haram or Islamic State West Africa, ISWA and occur in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States in the North East. There have also been significant attacks in other states, including in Gombe, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Bauchi and Taraba States.

…

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labout Party will no longer attend debates, Town Hall Meetings, and public presentations where other presidential candidates of the other contending parties are not present. The Presidential Campaign Council, (PCC) of the Labour Party (LP) disclosed this yesterday at a news conference in Abuja. The council noted with dismay that on numerous occasions, the presidential candidates of other parties had absconded from debates and public appearances and resorted to sending delegates or running mates to represent them. He said Peter Obi will no longer mount the podium to engage with anyone who is not a presidential aspirant. This is coming after the Presidential aspirant of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that of the People’s Democratic Part, Atiku Abubakar, failed to attend the Town Hall Meeting organized by Arise Television on Monday on Security and Economy and had instead sent delegates. We recall that on Aug. 22, the Nigerian Bar Association invited the leading presidential candidates to address its Annual Bar Conference, and on Sept. 13 and Sept .14, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry invited the major parties’ presidential candidates to interact with them, again, on Nov. 6, the AriseTV organized a Town Hall Meeting on Security and Economy, and on these three occasions only the presidential candidate of the Labour Party showed up, whereas the presidential candidates of the PDP and the APC only sent delegates and representative.