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The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, was quoted to have said this in a statement by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore.

The statement was titled, ‘FG declares Monday, June 14, 2021, public holiday to mark this year’s Democracy Day celebration.’

“Aregbesola said any form of agitation that threatens the unity of the country should be shunned for the good of all, saying the space known as Nigeria would be a haven of peace, unity and progress if all citizens love his or her neighbour and embrace the spirit of brotherliness.

“As we mark another Democracy Day in the history of our dear country, let us reflect on the efforts of our founding fathers and ensure that Nigeria remains one united and indivisible entity.

“No development can take place in an acrimonious environment.

“With the challenges we face in Nigeria today, I see an opportunity for us not to break up or break down but to break open; open up to ourselves in truth so that we may appreciate each other, understand each other, honour each other and live together in peace and prosperity.

“There will surely be light at the end of the tunnel.”

Punch

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Buhari said this when he appeared on Arise TV .

The president stated that those who participated in the protest have made Nigeria unattractive to investors.

He also blamed the protest on the dwindling inflow of foreign direct investment to the country.

In response, he said, “This question was answered last year when there was the #EndSARS protest. You remember the young people that wanted to march here and remove me?”

He added, “Tell the young people to behave themselves and make the country safe, then we can attract real investors to the country”.

Punch

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The Nation reports the pro-Yoruba nation protesters have held rallies across southwest states including Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, and Ondo.

Also, NANS under the leadership of its National President, Comrade Sunday Asefon, had declared June 12 as National Day of Peaceful Protest to call on government to act decisively towards addressing insecurity.

Igboho’s spokesman, Olayomi Koiki in a live video programme aired on Wednesday night, called on southwest Governors to cooperate with the peaceful protesters during the exercise.

He said: “Let us warn the Federal Government that if there is bloodshed this weekend, the international community is watching, if the military kills any Nigerian this weekend, it is going to be very hot.

“The Yoruba Nation rally will go ahead in every part of Yoruba land and the rest of the country where it will hold.

“Red alarm will begin on Friday. People should stock up food Items from Friday night.

“We are not backing down this weekend; we are ready to take back what belongs to us.”

He also enjoined agitators to ‘fast’ on Friday.

TheNation

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The meeting would be held under the backing of Interfaith Initiatives for Peace, newsmen has learnt.

The group, jointly led by Obasanjo, Sultan, Abdulsalami, and Onaiyekan, will be discussing “pressing issues” encumbering the country.

According to a letter addressed to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, issues such as national unity, security, peace, integration, economic revitalisation, and development will be discussed at the meeting.

The letter read in part, “I am pleased to invite you on behalf of Interfaith Initiatives for Peace jointly led by the Sultan of Sokoto, his eminence Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar and his eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, national peace committee chaired by General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Socio-cultural Consultative Committee convened by me and all these bodies called Committee of Goodness of Nigeria, CJN, to an exploratory meeting on pressing issues of national unity, security, peace, integration, economic revitalisation and development, women and youth welfare and general progress.”

Punch

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The National President of the association, Mr. Olalere Benedict, made this known at a press conference in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

He said the Federal Government has the right to put a stop to anything capable of heating up the country’s polity.

According to him, Twitter is not bigger than Nigeria and that it is an entity, while Nigeria is a sovereign country.

He urged the Federal Government to put in place control measures that will monitor the activities of the social media in the country.

Vanguard

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JUSUN took the decision at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting which just ended in Abuja.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) had, at a meeting with JUSUN leaders on Tuesday, with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad in attendance, urged the striking court workers to put an end to the industrial action in the interest of the country and the suffering court users.

TheNation

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The Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; and Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, stated this in a statement issued on Wednesday, titled ‘NASS Joint Minority Caucus Asks Nigerians to Continue Using Twitter.’

According to the statement, the joint caucus met over the ban by the All Progressives Congress government and “restates its condemnation of the embargo as draconian and unacceptable.”

The opposition lawmakers also dismissed threats by the government to arrest and prosecute Nigerians for using twitter, calling on Nigerians to “go ahead and use their Twitter (handles) as they would not be contravening any law in Nigeria or any international statute.”

The statement partly read, “As lawmakers, the joint caucus is pained by the anguish Nigerians, especially the youths, who find the use of twitter as a means of livelihood and genuine social interaction, are passing through just because the APC-led Federal Government feels slighted that an individual’s post, was deleted by Twitter for ethical violation.

“The joint caucus, therefore, calls on Nigerians to use various opportunities offered by technology and continue making use of twitter since such does not violate any law in our country.

“it is agonising that Nigeria and Nigerians have been losing billions of naira on a daily basis since the ban on Twitter. This is completely unacceptable as it is worsening the already biting economic hardship and frightening unemployment level in the country.

“Moreover, the ban on Twitter in Nigeria appears to be in favour of criminal and terrorist elements, whose activities fester in an environment of suppressed information flow.”

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The suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21 was filed by Solicitor to SERAP and human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN.

SERAP also argued that the “suspension of Twitter is aimed at intimidating and stopping Nigerians from using Twitter and other social media platforms to assess government policies, expose corruption, and criticize acts of official impunity by the agents of the Federal Government.”

In the suit, SERAP and the concerned Nigerians sought, “An order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and subjecting anyone including media houses, broadcast stations using Twitter in Nigeria, to harassment, intimidation, arrest and criminal prosecution, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”

The Plaintiffs also contended that “if this application is not urgently granted, the Federal Government will continue to arbitrarily suspend Twitter and threaten to impose criminal and other sanctions on Nigerians, telecommunication companies, media houses, broadcast stations and other people using Twitter in Nigeria, the perpetual order sought in this suit might be rendered nugatory.”

Punch