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Tag: Amnesty

  • Uganda expresses willingness to offer amnesty to ousted Sudanese president

    Uganda expresses willingness to offer amnesty to ousted Sudanese president

    Uganda is willing to offer asylum to former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir should he apply, a state minister for foreign affairs on Tuesday said.

    Henry Oryem, Uganda’s minister of state for international affairs, told the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs that the ousted leader is a guarantor to the South Sudan peace process.

    “If Bashir applies for asylum here that is something the government of Uganda can consider because Bashir is a guarantor to our peace talks,” said.

    Oryem, while presenting the ministry’s budget requirements for financial year 2019 to 2020 said, Bashir and Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni are the guarantors to the peace deal in the neighbouring South Sudan.

    “We wish and urge that Sudan should remain intact whatever happens, no one should have aspiration or desire for Sudan to break.

    “This is what Uganda is urging, privately and publicly. We don’t under estimate that what happens in Sudan has an effect on Uganda.”

    The minister said the authorities in Kampala were closely monitoring the ongoing events in Khartoum, where street protests have continued after the military removed Bashir from power last week.

    “We are watching Sudan very closely and we classify Sudan as our immediate neighbour.

    “The transition is very volatile and as far as we are concerned we urge the government in Sudan to respect the will of the people,” said Oryem.

    The Sudanese army ousted and detained Bashir on April 11 in response to four months of nationwide protests against his three-decade rule.

  • FG offers amnesty to owners of undeclared foreign assets

    The Federal Government has promised amnesty to Nigerians with assets and investments abroad who failed to declare them in a bid to evade paying taxes.

    Ministers for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and his finance counterpart, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed made this public in Abuja on Tuesday while unveiling the “Voluntary offshore assets regularization scheme (VOARS).”

    Malami explained that, just like the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), the rationale for the VOARS is to provide an opportunity for taxpayers or amnesty for tax defaulters to voluntary declare their offshore assets and income from sources outside Nigeria relating to the preceding thirty (30) years of assessment.

    The AGF said anyone, who voluntarily declare his/her offshore assets will be entitled to “permanent waiver of criminal prosecution for tax offences and offences related to the offshore assets, penalties and interests concerning such declared offshore assets.

    He added that such Nigerian will enjoy “immunity from tax audit of the declared and regularized offshore assets; waiver of interest and penalties on the declared and regularized offshore assets.”

    The AGF added that those, who voluntary declare, will “receive from Federal Government of Nigeria an Offshore Assets Regularization Compliance Certificate on the declared and regularized offshore assets.”

    He said they will “be free to use or invest their duly regularized residual offshore assets in any manner In Nigeria or overseas and be subject only to annual tax to Federal Government of Nigeria on the income earned on such residual offshore assets.”

    The AGF expressed optimism that President Muhammadu Buhari will grant an extension since, the scheme, meant to last a year, beginning from October last year, was just being unveiled on April 2, 2019.

    Malami said the legal basis for VOARS exists in the Executive Order 8 (EO8) signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 8, 2018.

    He said the EO8 also provides the legal basis for a group, the Swiss Consortium to approach third party holders of offshore funds, with a view to accessing information on the owners.

    Malami said the third party intended in the scheme include: banks, estate managers, auditors and accountants.

    In her contribution, Mrs. Ahmed said the introduction of VOARS aims to serve as an additional opportunity and mechanism for Nigerian citizens to continue to fulfil their tax obligations by extending the scope to offshore assets and foreign-sourced income.

    She said the EO8 provides a platform for taxpayers, who have defaulted in the payment of their taxes, to voluntarily declare all offshore assets and foreign-sourced income relating to the preceding 30 years of assessment.

    Mrs. Ahmed explained that the VOAR scheme provides a one-year window, commencing from the October 8, 2018 for affected taxpayers to declare all offshore assets and foreign-sourced income without the threat of criminal prosecution for tax offences related to undeclared offshore assets.

    She added: “Through this scheme, it is our aim that the culture of accountability and I honesty in citizens to fully declare any income and assets owned will begin to grow and will encourage more citizens to readily come forward to declare without any threat of interrogation and/or prosecution.”

  • Abducted APC chairman solicits amnesty for kidnappers

    Abducted APC chairman solicits amnesty for kidnappers

    The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Mr. Donatus Nwankpa, is calling on governments to consider granting amnesty to kidnappers across the country as part of strategies to check kidnapping.

    Nwankpa who just regained freedom from abductors told The Nation that punitive measures are not enough to address the problem. “We have to look for a way, not just the operational or punitive aspects; we should also look for a way to positively engage them in order to give them some sense of belonging.

    “We need to reassure them that their lives are not yet over. To some of them, they have already given up; they don’t believe that they have hope again. In the course of being there, I discovered that they have their off moments. In those off moments, you don’t talk to them; but in sober moments, you can engage them. All we need to do is to create a social programme that will recover our stray and erring youths.

    “What is happening to the ex-militants should be extended to them. Amnesty is a positive engagement. Some of them can be sent outside this country because they can no longer do all these N30,000 minimum wage jobs. They need psychologists and counselors to talk to them. One of the areas that we are failing in this country is that the counseling department of various institutions have failed,” he said.

    Nwankpa was seized in Umuahia, the state capital on January 28, about 12 hours to the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari in the state for his campaign. Describing the moments before his abduction, the APC chairman said “we had just finished giving people responsibilities in Umuahia and I felt that it was necessary that I should know the state of preparation at the arena (Enyimba Stadium) where the president would be hosted.

    “We agreed to visit the arena to see things for ourselves and make adjustments where necessary to ensure a hitch-free exercise. Unfortunately, as we were driving down, we ran into hoodlums. They took us into the bush where they ransacked and took everything that they could find on us and later blindfolded us. While one of us escaped, they took me and the other person to a location. Later, they allowed the other person go as he was badly injured. They knew that I am the APC chairman and that I was going to receive Mr. President the next day,” he said.

  • Fulani groups accuse Buhari’s govt of neglect, say no preferred presidential candidate

    Fulani groups accuse Buhari’s govt of neglect, say no preferred presidential candidate

    Coalition of Fulani herdsmen groups in Nigeria have dissociated themselves from some Fulani unions’ endorsement of a particular presidential candidate in the forthcoming general elections.

    They described the endorsement as dangerous noting that their associations were social, non political and none partisan aimed at uplifting Fulani interests.

    Alhaji Saleh Bayari, leader of the coalition made this known at a National Delegates meeting of coalition of Fulani Associations from 36 states of the federation and the FCT held in Sokoto on Sunday.

    The groups said the endorsement was not in the interest of the generality of Fulani herdsmen as neither consultations nor meetings were held prior to the decision.

    The associations directed their members to disregard the endorsement and elect any candidate of their choice as guaranteed by the constitution.

    It also reminded herdsmen to consider the credibility and suitability of candidates as well as the leader that has regard and concerns with their plights.

    According to the groups, about 17 million pastoralists are in Nigeria and that while government disburses subsidy and support to farmers, herdsmen obtained nothing in past four years.

    The coalition accused the Federal Government of not doing enough for Fulani herdsmen in recognition that they were marginalised in the present disbursement of Tradermoni scheme and others.

    The groups alleged that the present administration had neglected them on agricultural support schemes, concentrating mostly on grain, poultry and fish farming.

    The groups further explained that the meeting was organised to exchange thoughts and ideas and possible ways of librating the Fulani herdsmen to come out to speak with one tongue.

    They also said the laws banning cattle grazing were unconstitutional that violated human rights while noting that the moves to establish cattle ranches and colonies were yet to come to reality.

    The coalition further stated that President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar are all Fulani men and urged members to elect who showed concerns on pastoralists’ plights and their economic development as well as engaged on “Ruga to Ruga” consultation campaign.

    In the communiqué read by Bayari at end of the event, the coalition commended Amnesty International 2018 report that said about 3,641 persons lost their lives in farmers/headsmen conflicts in Nigeria.

    Bayari appealed to the Federal Government to grant unconditional amnesty to their members detained over various crimes allegations in the country.

    He said the federal government should consider amnesty to Fulani people accused of crimes as it was done to agitators in the oil rich Niger Delta region.

    “About 3,000 Fulani clans are in detention at different security formations in the country.

    “Poverty, neglect and poor treatment among fellow Nigerians are mostly causes that forced those accused persons to engage in dastardly acts,” Bayari said.

    He explained that about 2,500 pastoralists were killed while 3.7 million livestock were either killed or rustled from the herdsmen at various states of the federation, the situation that subjected members to untold hardships.

    He pointed out that granting them amnesty would allow leaders to unite their fellows and partner with authorities to sanction any member found engaging in any unlawful activities.

     

  • Benue,Taraba Govs offer amnesty to criminals

    Govs Samuel Ortom of Benue and Darius Ishaku of Taraba have resolved to grant amnesty to criminals operating along the border of the states.

    The offer is part of the resolution at the end of the joint security meeting between the two states held at the Federal University Wukari in Taraba.

    Ishaku, who read the communique at the end of the tour of some border communities of Abako, Sai and Dogon-Gawa, said the amnesty window took effect immediately and would expire by the end of January 2019.

    “We are willing to give amnesty to criminals who are willing to renounce criminality and surrender their weapons so that we can give them better jobs and reintegrate them into the society.

    “Criminals willing to surrender, including those that defaulted in the past, are free to contact any of us (governors), traditional rulers and security agencies.

    “Elections are around the corner and we will like to do this between now and end of January so that we can secure our places and synergise for peaceful elections,” he said.

    The meeting condemned the spate of kidnappings, armed robbery and banditry involving youths in the states at the border.

    It stressed the need for job creation as a fundamental tool to reduce unemployment which made youths to take to criminality.

    It called for adequate provision of logistics support to the security agencies by both the federal and state governments to sustain surveillance.

    The meeting called on the people of the areas to report all forms of criminality to appropriate authorities and not shield criminals in their domain.

    “The governors have resolved to constitute a joint security committee made up of people of proven integrity and locals of the area between the two states to address the security challenges and a joint security forces to be constituted with a police station at Sai.

    “The joint security meeting mandates the Boundary Committees of the states in conjunction with the National Boundary Commission to meet and ensure that boundary issues involving the two states are resolved,” he said.

    Ortom called on the people of the states to report criminals in their domain to security agencies, be law abiding and shun acts capable of dividing them.

    The security meeting was attended by heads of security agencies from both states, traditional rulers and top government functionaries from the states, including the immediate past governor of Benue, Dr Gabriel Suswam.

     

  • S/Sudan president Kiir grants amnesty to rebel leader Machar, others

    S/Sudan president Kiir grants amnesty to rebel leader Machar, others

    President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has granted an amnesty to all those involved
    in the nation’s civil war including rebel leader Riek Machar, according to a television broadcast.

    On Sunday Kiir, SPLM-IO leader Machar – the president’s former deputy – and other groups signed a ceasefire
    and power-sharing agreement in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

    The amnesty order was read out on state-run television late Wednesday.

    A political row between Kiir and Machar degenerated in 2013 into a war that has killed tens of thousands,
    forced a quarter of the population to flee their homes and wrecked the country’s oil-dependent economy.

    The conflict has often been fought along ethnic lines. Previous peace deals have failed, including one
    in 2015 that briefly halted hostilities but fell apart after Machar returned to the capital Juba in
    2016.

    SPLM-IO is the largest of the rebel groups fighting Kiir’s government, and fighters allied to it control
    several areas close to the capital.

    Some of its generals broke off to form their own movements or to join Kiir’s government, and other
    anti-government groups have also emerged since the conflict erupted, some of which have
    fought against each other.

  • President Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire grants amnesty to wife of ex-leader Gbagbo

    President Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire grants amnesty to wife of ex-leader Gbagbo

    President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire has declared an amnesty for Simone Gbagbo, who had been convicted of offences against the state during a brief 2011 civil war.

    Simone Gbagbo, the wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo, was one of 800 citizens that Ouattara said he had pardoned, in a state address broadcast live on TV.

    She had been tried and convicted in 2015 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

    In 2017, an Abidjan court acquitted her of crimes against humanity and war crimes linked to her role in the 2011 civil war that killed about 3,000 people.

    Human Rights groups criticised that decision.

    “Because of my commitment to peace and true reconciliation, I proceeded to sign this day an amnesty order … which will benefit 800 of our citizens,” Ouattara said in the address that seemed to be aimed at cooling political tensions.

    Côte d’Ivoire is Francophone West Africa’s largest, most successful and diverse economy.

    But its combustible politics – turbocharged by ongoing ethnic and land disputes and scores to settle from a decade-long crisis – makes an election scheduled for 2020 potentially perilous.

    Besides Simone Gbagbo, another beneficiary was Kamagate Souleymane, a former rebel when Laurent Gbagbo was in power, and who is close to national assembly leader Guillaume Soro.

    Soro’s rebel movement claims credit for helping Ouattara come to power after Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in an election, triggering the short but brutal 2011 civil war for which Laurent Gbagbo is currently on trial in the International Criminal Court.

    Political tensions are heating up ahead of elections in 2020. Ouattara’s ruling RDR coalition has fallen out with the coalition’s junior partner, the PDCI, whose leader expelled party members named to a new Cabinet in July.

    There have also been doubts over whether Ouattara will step down after two terms, as required by the constitution, although in his address he repeated a remark made om July that he would “work to transfer power to a new generation”.

    Reuters/NAN

  • BREAKING: Buhari offers amnesty to repentant Boko Haram members

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday reiterated his desire to offer amnesty to repentant members of Boko Haram sect willing to surrender their arms and embrace peace.

    The President stated this while receiving the recently released students of Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said the government is ready to rehabilitate the repentant Boko Haram fighters back to the society.

    He warned politicians politicizing security issues that the situation would no longer be tolerated.

    The President also warned security agencies against any laxity in the discharge of their duties.

    He said those involved in such laxity would be viewed strongly and sanctioned appropriately.

    The Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawan Daura, said 105 out of 111 girls abducted by Boko Haram on February 19 were released.

    He said the remaining six girls have not been accounted for.

    According to him, two pupils of Dapchi primary school were also released with the secondary school girls on Wednesday.

  • Amnesty scholarship scheme intact – Amnesty Office

    Prof. Charles Dokubo, Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, has called for tolerance, patience and understanding from delegates on the payment of their allowances and scholarships, while also stressing the amnesty scholarship scheme remains in place.

    Dokubo made the call on delegates of the Programme within and outside the country in a statement signed by the Chief of Staff, Presidential Amnesty Office, Major Kesiena Mowarin (Rtd) on Thursday in Abuja.

    Dokubo said this to douse the tension and questions arising from recently deployed student delegates who were uncertain of the status of their scholarships and payment of allowances.

    He said that he was aware of these concerns and was poised to tackle lingering inhibitions to the progress of the programme.

    He disclosed that Presidential Amnesty Office was currently carrying out an audit of its books, an exercise that will be concluded soon and actions expedited on the payment of outstanding stipends and other allowances to delegates duly.

    According to statement, the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme is an academic and so has the best interest of these scholarship delegates at heart.

    “He will fight day and night to ensure that these students whether here in Nigeria or abroad stay in school and concentrate on the task of graduating with excellent.”

    He went further to stress the imperatives for quality education, explaining that the office realizes the importance of sustaining its scholarship platform and would work assiduously to achieve set objectives.

    He, however, advised delegates to disregard rumours bothering on expulsion or removal from the Presidential Amnesty Programme scholarship scheme.

    Dokubo, who recently assumed leadership at the Presidential Amnesty Office, has been meeting with various interest groups from the Niger Delta in a bid to engender support for the new development blueprint of the Buhari administration for the Niger Delta.

     

  • Dapchi abduction: Security forces allowed Boko Haram to abduct schoolgirls – Amnesty

    Global human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, AI, has revealed that Nigerian security forces got advance warnings that a convoy of Boko Haram fighters was heading towards Dapchi, a town where 110 schoolgirls were abducted by terrorists on February 19 in an assault similar to the infamous Chibok girls’ abduction of April 2014.

    It claimed that no fewer than five calls were put across to security forces between 2pm and 6:30pm on that fateful day of the abduction of female pupils from Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe state.

    In a report on the incident released yesterday, Amnesty International said the first call was made to the Nigerian Army Command in Geidam, 54km from Dapchi, informing them that Boko Haram fighters had been seen at Futchimiram heading to Gumsa, a village about 30km from Dapchi.

    However, the evidence documented by the international group shows that the military did nothing to stop the insurgents.

    “The sighting of an armed convoy at Futchimiram immediately sparked several phone calls to alert authorities. Sources who informed the military commander in Geidam at 2p.m. report that he responded to them by saying he was aware of the situation and was monitoring it.

    “At about 3pm, the convoy arrived in Gumsa, where they remained till 5pm. People in Gumsa called Dapchi villagers to warn them that Boko Haram fighters were on their way. One villager who received such a call said he informed a police sergeant who promised to notify the Dapchi Division Police Officer (DPO).

    “At about 6:30pm, when residents were heading to the mosque for evening prayers, Boko Haram members entered Dapchi. Witnesses said Boko Haram fighters asked for directions to the military post, the local government office and the girls’ school,” the report said.

    Amnesty learnt from an eyewitness that approximately 50 Boko Haram fighters stormed Dapchi in a convoy of nine vehicles with Arabic inscriptions on them. The vehicles included seven Land Cruiser trucks, one Hilux and a Canter truck.

    A police source in Dapchi also told the group that on sighting them, police officers fled because they feared that the Boko Haram fighters would overpower them. According to victims and eyewitnesses interviewed by AI, Boko Haram left Gumsa for Dapchi at about 5pm, arriving at about 6:30pm.

    “They left Dapchi at about 7:30pm in the direction of Gumsa, where villagers say they arrived at about 9p.m. During the attack, army officials both in Geidam and Damaturu were again alerted. The military only arrived in Dapchi shortly after Boko Haram left. Villagers in Dapchi and Gumsa said a military jet arrived about one hour after Boko Haram left Dapchi,” read the report.

    AI lamented that in spite of the several distress calls, the Nigerian military neither took effective measures to stop the abduction nor made serious efforts to rescue the girls after they were taken by Boko Haram fighters.

    The Director, Amnesty International in Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, maintained in a statement that the Nigerian authorities have failed in their duty to protect civilians, just as they did in Chibok four years ago.

    While describing the inaction as, “inexcusable security lapses”, Ojigho said, “Evidence available to Amnesty International suggests that there are insufficient troops deployed in the area, and that an absence of patrols and the failure to respond to warnings and engage with Boko Haram contributed to this tragedy. The government’s failure in this incident must be investigated and the findings made public and it is absolutely crucial that any investigation focuses on the root causes.”