Defense Headquarters (DHQ) has cleared the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa for firing an advanced weapon, AK-47 in a viral video.

According to the military, the Falgore Forest Military Training Center in Kano State is where the viral video of the shooting took place while being led by military men.

Police are pressing charges against Doguwa, for alleged criminal conspiracy, culpable murder, causing great bodily harm, arson, and inciting commotion.

In connection with the deaths of three residents in his electoral district on February 25th, he was detained by Kano police.

READ ALSO: Reactions Over Police Officer Sleeping On Duty At A Polling Unit

Once the video went viral, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, the acting director of defense information, said that the footage was recorded at the 3 Brigade Nigerian Army Training Exercise, to which he had been invited as a special guest.

“The Defence Headquarters wishes to state that the video is a calculated attempt by mischief-makers to discredit the Armed Forces of Nigeria and dent its image before the good people of this country and the world at large.

“The video in question was taken at Falgore Forest Military Training Camp during the 3 Brigade Nigerian Army Training Exercise where Hon Alhassan Ado Doguwa was invited as a special guest.

“It is worthy to state that when senior citizens and Special Guests are invited for such exercises, they are accorded the honor to participate in the firing exercise as a ceremonial firing party.

“Ceremonial firing in such an exercise is the practice the world over and is not new in the armed forces as several other senior citizens have participated in such exercises in the past,” he said.

Gusau claims that the viral video was uploaded with the intention of harming the military’s reputation at a time when Nigerians and the rest of the world were applauding the armed forces’ participation in the most recent presidential and National Assembly elections.

Seven board members for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses (ICPC) have been sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The swearing-in took place on Wednesday at the State House in Abuja just before the start of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

Retired Judge Adamu Bello (Katsina), Hannatu Mohammed (Jigwa), Olubukola Balogun (Lagos), Obiora Samuel Igwedibia (Anambra), Abdullahi Saidu (Niger), Yahaya Umar Dauda (Nasarawa), and Grace Chinyere are among the reappointed ICPC board members that the President swore in (Rivers).

READ ALSO: INEC Threatens To Speedily Prosecute Electoral Offenders

This is the first FEC meeting after the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, which saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, emerge as the victorious candidate.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and National Security Advisor Babagana Monguno are all physically present at the meeting (Rtd).

Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, Ministers of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, Labor and Employment Minister Chris Ngige, Ministers of Agriculture Mahmood Mohammed, Minister of the Environment Mohammed Abdullahi, Minister of Power Abubakar Aliyu, Ministers of Finance, Budget, and National Planning Zainab Ahmed, Ministers of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu, Ministers of Science and Technology Ogbonnaya Onu, and Minister of State for Health Olorun

The 2023 national census will not take place on March 29 as originally planned, according to a statement from the federal government.

Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, stated this at the Federal Executive Council meeting under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The census, which was originally planned to take place on March 29, will now take place in May.

According to Lai Mohammed, the decision to move the census was required by the decision to move the governor and state assembly elections to March 18.

READ ALSO: “I would have been a prostitute today, because I was desperate after my father died” – Omotola Jalade

The minister also revealed that the cabinet had allocated N2.8 billion to buy software for the National Population Commission (NPC) to utilize in conducting the census.

“There was a memo presented by the National Population Commission, seeking some software to allow them to conduct the census in May this year. I believe because of the rescheduling of the elections, they cannot commence the census as scheduled.

“They sought Council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8 billion,” he said.

This is the first population count to be held in 17 years.