 With the reconfiguration of the bimodal voter accreditation system machines used for the 25th February presidential and national assembly elections concluded what lies ahead for voters in the March 18 state elections. Nigerian inflation rate has risen to 21.91% in February 2023 according to the National Bureau of Statistics. We'll look at what this means for a nation already grappling with its severe economic hardship. And in off the press we take a look at the latest headlines and front pages of today's national dailies and analysis to follow. Very good morning. You're welcome to the breakfast and plus TV Africa. It's a beautiful Thursday morning. My name is Kofi Bartels and of course we apologize for starting a bit behind time due to technical difficulties beyond our control but we're here and very very set to do justice to the issues of the day. We have interesting conversations. Of course, we're counting down to the 2023 March 18 governorship and state House of Assembly elections and we'll be bringing you coverage right here on plus TV Africa. We have a guest standing by to the justice of the topics ahead. Let's start off with a look at what has gotten Nigerians chatting and talking on the social space. We're talking about a top training segment as we'll start with. And the first one is not a story I really or ordinary would like to talk about or touch on because it's so close by just not far from where we are. But the traditional of Ikate Lagosha Kingdom, he is his royal majesty Oba Sahid Ademola, Kusenla III. He has declared a three-day all-right on non-indigents and women from midnight to 5.30 a.m. including on Saturday's governorship and state assembly election day. You know, that is, it is a ritual or a right that is performed, you know, usually by everyone in the Yoruba land, in parts of Yoruba land. Well, we hear that there was a memo that was issued or sent to residents of Ikate Lagosha in which the monarch announced that they always alleged, let's say, is alleged to have announced that there will be restriction of movement to perform the overwrite in the community from Wednesday to Saturday. Residents of the community are also alleging, or some residents, let's say, are also alleging that there is a political motive for the curfew which will further disenfranchise women and non-indigents from voting on the election day. Others have complained that it would be, they will be paralyzed or it will paralyze commercial activities in the community. All right, then the suppress reached out to Temitope Oyefecho. Temitope Oyefecho is the special assistant on media affairs to the monarch of Ikate Kingdom. He is reported to have confirmed that an oral right is taking place or happening in Ikate Lagosha Kingdom, which is a very, very important part of Etiosa in Lagos. Etiosa local government area in Lagos. It's a very important part of Etiosa in Lagos. So this is what he is quoted as saying. Yes, there is an oral right happening in the kingdom. So the Lagosha community council decided that residents and visitors should be in their houses from midnight to the morning, or midnight to morning, Wednesday to Saturday. Wednesday to Saturday is what he is saying, Wednesday to Saturday. However, he said to have debunked the allegation that it will affect activities on election day. He says, quote, we're not saying that people should sit at home during election day like they have in other places. Elections are held during the day, and by morning we'll open the roads for people to come. It is a traditional right, but unfortunately it has come at this time. It is an annual event. This is not the first time we are not disrupting any process. All right, so he also said, quote, voting starts at 8 a.m. There is a police curfew from midnight on election day. We are not doing anything different from what the police have done. It was just comments two days earlier. People should stop speculating or being mischievous about our rights. It's not interfering with the process. Residents can move about from morning till 11.30 p.m., morning till 11.30 p.m. So that's that. Of course, the police public relations officer in Lagos State was reached and he says he won't engage in hearsay. He won't engage in speculation. Of course, that's what he said. So, you know, before this news became public or this allegation became public, there were some rumors that something like this was going to happen in some parts of Lagos. And there was a particular community where the residents had to reach out to the commissioner of police to say, look at what's going on. They're saying we can't come out, you know, in this election period. I mean, what the media aid to the monarch in Nicaragua, she has said, I think she gave us more insight or is quoted as saying, she gave us more insight into what exactly is at play here. Because they're saying that they're starting on Wednesday, Wednesday, and it is going to continue until Saturday morning. So Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, okay, is what he's quoted as saying. And if indeed it is true, if indeed it is true, it would therefore mean that the, what do you call it, the, I mean, voters would be allowed to go around, move about on Saturday, especially going by the fact that the allegation says that the movement of restriction will start from 11.30 p.m. to morning. However, what we hear, another latest is that Yorba has come out to debunk this allegation or to debunk this particular insinuation. But it's something that we'll have to, we'll have to clarify. You know, because yesterday I saw in the punch newspaper that Yorba, Saeeda Demola himself, on Wednesday, yesterday, said that the 23-year-old festival will not affect the governorship elections. You know, that's what he's saying. Through his media aid, let me talk about the FHR as we mentioned earlier. So what is debunking, I'm not too sure about that, but what he's saying is that the election day is not included, you know, the election day is not included. And moreover, they're going to restrict the movement of people from maybe 11.30 p.m. or midnight to 5 a.m. where they'll perform the rights, you know, so the election day is not included. And moreover, he says, on the Friday before the election day, there's a care for you, usually, you know, put in place by the police, you know, so they're not doing anything different. So Saeeda said, okay, it's a modern society. Why are people going to be restricted for traditional rights and all that? But they are doing their thing in the night. You know, I can't remember how the city had lived in, where when there's what's called, if they want to move around at night, you know, you have to turn off your light, turn off the generating set, everybody stay at home. And if they see any light on security light, they'll smash it. They'll catch you on the road at that time, you are on your own with a masquerade. So it's, I think what we can say is that we right here, you know, plus TV Africa, we have a high regard for the traditional institutions. And I'm sure that Nigerians out there and the voting public will have a high regard for the traditional institutions. I mean, or by Ligushi is a very, very respected monarch that's talking about Saeeda Demola, the traditional of Ikate Ligushi in Ligushi, a very respected monarch and very, very monarch at that. And I mean, traditional rights, traditional processes and all that are really, you know, the exclusive preserve of the custodians of the land, they have a right to do that. The question that some would ask is, you know, why now? But what the Oba's media assistant is saying is that it just happens that, it's an annual exercise, it just happens that it's coinciding, it's a coincidence coinciding with the run up to the election period. But if they've moved it some days before the election, and that from the daytime people are allowed to go about their activities, but from 11.30 p.m. or midnight to five a.m., you can do that. So those who want to go clubbing, you have to think about maybe staying in the hotel or something, you know. So I think that's that. It's nothing, you know, just stay at home or stay somewhere else. Allow the traditional institutions to do the thing. And on election day, people are free to move. People are free to move. It ends on Friday. So there's nothing to be worried about. All right, we'll move on to another top-trending story. A total of 21 suspected internet fraudsters, we call them Yahoo Boys. And I don't, I don't think we should even call them Yahoo Boys anymore. I think it should be Yahoo Boys and Girls, you know. In the, in the name of agenda equality, I spoke to a taxi driver or cab driver from one of these ride-hailing apps, you know. And he was complaining to me that people would show him in the midst of the cash crunch in Nigeria and search in use of banks, online platform, internet platforms, and mobile applications. So the banks are finding it difficult to cope with the search. So sometimes, from time to time, they will complain to you that they have, you know, people are not paying them or, you know, love. But what I hear now is a trend is that some of these fraudsters or passengers who want to dupe the drivers, ride-hailing drivers, would show them fake, fake transaction notices or lets or receipts, you know. And one driver was trying to convince me that, that his female drivers or passengers are the ones that do it more, you know, which was a shock to me. So maybe we need to just call it what it is. It's no more Yahoo Boys, but Yahoo Boys and Girls. Really, that's the situation. But for this one, all I can see, those I can see in front of me are boys, young guys, you know, 21 of them suspected internet fraudsters. Of course, they'll be charged to court. If they are found guilty, then we can call them internet fraudsters. And I'm happy that the media is choosing not to show their face, but showing them from behind, which is good, which is good, you know, so that they can be given their day in court. And the EFCC and Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions, the Corruption Watchdog, arrested them. And the names have been put out. I don't know why the names are put out, since they're still suspects, you know. But the Antigraphed Agency and a statement on its official Twitter page said the suspects were arrested in Lugbe and Kuboah suburbs of Abuja. They arrest followed what they call actionable intelligence on their alleged internet related fraud activities. You know, they said they recovered some items from them. When they say they recovered items, I don't know, are those items stolen? Because you hear them saying they recovered two mobile phones, recovered three laptops, recovered two iPhones and all that. If you go see someone, you know, arrest somebody who is a suspect, and they have their property, do you call that recovering? You know, but I'm sure the security operatives and police in the EFCC will know best the language to you since it's their profession. But to me, as a layman in that area, I sometimes wonder why they say they recovered. You know, maybe you come, you raid the house of a suspect and they have mobile phones and then they pirate the mobile phones. So we recovered five mobile phones from them. I mean, I didn't know meant to have mobile phones. But anyway, maybe the laptops are part of the exhibits, I don't know, but it's somehow awkward to me. They said they recovered three laptops, Mercedes CLA250, which is a choice car of Yahoo Boys, but it doesn't mean these are Yahoo Boys. We don't know yet. 25 high-end mobile phones and a C300 car. The EFCC is saying they'll be arraigned in court as soon as investigations are concluded. And you know, this is my problem. It's a problem I have. Why are you sounding like these guys have already been convicted when you are just about to start an investigation? You know, somebody tipped you off, you went and raided their home, you arrested them, and they are putting their names out in public, you know, which, I mean, you never can tell what the effect of this will be. It was a case somewhere in, I think, in the United States or in Britain of a celebrity who was accused of sexually harassing a woman. Well, he went to court and then he was cleared of all these charges. And I was interviewed. This was earlier this week. I was asked, you know, for his thoughts, and he said it's going to be hard for him to repair the damage to his reputation since his name hasn't been put out there already. You know, it's going to be hard for him. So, I mean, for me, it's not about discouraging anti-graft agencies, but we talk about media trial, you know. Like I said, first of all, it's good that their faces weren't shown. Secondly, I think their names should not have been put out. You know, do your job, do your investigation. That's why you're paid. And then go to court. And when they are convicted, you can announce that, hey, these people are being convicted and found guilty and all that. You know, even the practice of a mugshot, you know, being released to the public by AFCC, I do not know how, how do I call it? I do not know how whether that is known to Nigerian law. That's, you know, you arrest a suspect, go. Kofi Bartels, he's a, what do they call it? We have information on him or financial crimes or something, something. Then they come and soup on, maybe it's a mistaken identity, because it happened to me before, you know. And they put my name on the document, mistaken identity. And, and they soup on you and then, yeah, what's going on? And then they take you to their facility and they take a picture of you and put it on social media, OAP, on a personality, broadcaster, caught or arrested for, for Internet fraud. Investigations are about to start. However, and if I, if I walk, I walk free, who's going to pay, repair the damage to my reputation? With me, I'll definitely call my lawyer and I will say to my lawyer, please, can you file a suit and they'll pay huge money. So, so I think this agency should, I mean, the whole boys were used to this thing. We commend them for the work they are doing, but they should conclude their investigation before putting such out. And then also they should tell some of the operatives to also, if they find these guys doing these things, not collect money from them, you know, do the job. Because from what some of these young boys have led, they're saying that, you know, they'll be roughed up, you know, by some security men, not AFCC, but it could be some other agency. I don't know, maybe. And they'll be roughed up taking in, you know, and all these things to be done, only for them to be, to be, for money to be collected from them, sort of a bribe. And they'll be set free, you know, they'll be set free. So it's good the FCC are saying that they're going to go to court with this, but they need to talk to some of the operatives, the FCC police, whichever it is, to not do what they've been doing before, which is rough some of these boys up and collect money and all that. Okay, let's go to River State. My production people seem to be so interested in this story, so I won't waste time. So these are pictures of women protesting the election results in River State. You just see them in the amount of seconds. These women, yesterday, Wednesday, February 25, you can see that on your screen, found their way to the Independent National Electro-Commissioned Office on Abba Road, near Water Lines. Hey, that's what they call it, in Port Harcourt River State. And you can see some, they are wearing all black, and you can see the placards they are holding. INEC, we are watching you. INEC, River State. River State is not for sale. Ya kubu ma mood, ma wii ya kubu. Wikis, what, I can't see that one. INEC stopped killing. River State, later, votes count. It uses from INEC, you know, and all that. So, like you see on your screen, they were all black. You know, current placards, some of them reading INEC, we are watching you. INEC did the right thing for once, you know, amongst others. And we don't know who these women are, but I think this follows some of the incidents during the presidential election in River State, which basically amounted to daylight robbery. And I mean, if election in River State stands then, of course, you know that nothing has changed as far as democracy in Nigeria is concerned. You know the politicians who do those, so let's just do it first. Let's rig the election first, and then let's go to court, and then we'll take it from there, okay? And that's what's been happening. And that's what's been happening. And it'll be quite unfortunate if it continues in 2023. Of course, there are different elections. You know, if you look at the House of Representatives elections, the Governorship elections and the Senate elections, there are different dynamics involved. And the candidates, some of them have their base, you know, they have their structure, they have supporters. But some people strongly feel that the presidential election results in Port Hacot were rigged. And the evidence is so loud, especially in one or two local government areas. From the reports that our correspondent gave to us at the time, the evidence is so loud. And I mean, we can confidently conclude that there was daylight robbery, daylight, broad daylight, robbery of election results in River State, you know. Anyone who will say that didn't happen or we shouldn't say that means that we should actually report what happened and then come and lie that it didn't happen, which personally I can do, you know, I can do that. So, but I don't know if this will amount to anything because, I mean, in 2015, you know, in River State, people came out to shout and protest and they said, let's go to court. And the rest is history, you know. So the dramatist's personnel, you know, maybe, you know, sit down and drink in their champagne and just say, look at them. Nothing will come out of this. So I wish them the best in Port Hacot. I hope that they get justice. But, I mean, for these women, I wonder who is playing the drums for the, or the tune for the dance, they are dancing. I mean, it could be that some of the candidates on Saturday's election or in Saturday's election may want to use this as a way of putting pressure on I-NEC so that there will be no rigging. Now, can you blame them? You know, if I want in a free and fair election, if a politician sponsors something like this, you can see the placards look really new and fresh. Can you blame them? Because, I mean, any politician who sponsors something like this will want to have a free and fair election. And all they're asking for is a free and fair election, an election that is not rigged, an election where, you know, when the voting is done, the results that were recorded in the polling unit will be what will be written on the results sheet. And when it's taken by the president of such the RA Award Coalition Center as recommended by I-NEC, that they will change the results. And when the word results are gathered and taken to the local government area, a free and fair election means that the presiding or the coalition officer in the local government will not disappear for three days. It will not be in either government house or be in local government headquarters, you know, rewriting the results. A free and fair election means that the local government's coalition officer whose result is meant to be submitted at the state coalition center, which is just in his same city, will not get there three days after while those who were bringing results from local governments that he have to cross water to get his own pass, got there before him. A free and fair election will mean that the local government coalition officers in Riverside will not disappear for three days and appear in company of security, heavy security, all right, heavy security, which was not given to him by anybody from I-NEC. Security men are known to I-NEC in tinted, you know, glass vehicles, you know, suspended to be that from government house, okay? A free and fair election will mean that a local government coalition officer in Riverside will not be held down by a local government chairman who has been threatened by the governor to produce results. Otherwise, he will be dealt with. It means that she won't have to call the commissioner police, okay, to come and rescue her from a local government chairman who is pressuring her to change the result and who has abducted her. It will mean that local government chairman who is not accredited to be in I-NEC state coalition center will not follow her there in a bit to try and convince her and everybody there, frantically, okay, shaking and sweating to change the results to what he wants it to be. That is what we mean by free and fair election. It is what the people vote is what will be seen. A free and fair election in Riverside means that what we see on the results sheet stands inside and given to the party or polling agents, okay? Those results will not be different from what will be announced by the local government coalition officer. That the results will not be different from, as announced, not be different from what I-NEC itself is uploading on its IRF portal. A free and fair election in Riverside will mean that when the party agents follow the presiding officer to the area award coalition center and from there to local government coalition center, that thugs and hoodlums, which is their rights in electrolyte, thugs and hoodlums will not appear from nowhere and chase them away and abduct the I-NEC coalition officers to the unknown destination. A free and fair election in Riverside and in the extension of Nigeria will mean that the beavers' device will not cease working all of a sudden or the I-NEC officials will not complain that they cannot upload the results and then go away with them to unknown destinations. That is what this women are protesting for. That is what they are protesting for, you know. We are not fools, Nigerians are not fools, and we see what is happening. And we in the media, we have a responsibility as an enchanted Nigerian constitution to hold government to account. And when we see blue, we call it blue, no matter who is involved. When we see red, we call it red, no matter who is involved. Okay? The world is watching. And in politics, as it is in life, whatever a mind so, so a woman so as, you know, death. That is what they shall reap. And they who live by the sword will die by the sword figuratively. That's the size of our package on our top trending segment. We'll be right back to look at what the papers say.