FRSC adopts 10-year cycling plan

 

The Federal Road Safety Commission plans to adopt a 10-year strategic plan to encourage cycling in the country, its  Corps Marshal, Osita Chidoka has said.

Chidoka who stated this during the FRSC awareness campaign on cycling in Abuja on Thursday, added that the University of Lagos had agreed to be a model for its use in enclosed locations.

He said, “We at FRSC will have a strategic plan for the next ten years to grow cycling in Nigeria; we have done studies in Abuja. We have identified all the cycle lanes that were in the original master plan and we are ready to claim them and to begin to use Abuja as a model.

“The University of Lagos has also agreed to be a model for enclosed locations like universities, estates barracks, where we think bicycles can be a modern form of mobility.”

Chidoka who took the campaign to the residence of Nigeria’s Ambassador to Canada, Mr Ojo Maduekwe, said that there was no way bicycle use could be discussed without acknowledging his pioneering  efforts.

He  said bicycle was an alternative transport with a lot of health benefits beyond city  congestion, and  mobility needs of people.

Maduekwe said, “And the involvement of the University of Lagos and the Environment Ministry shows that the thing is moving from talk to reality, the concept of introducing bicycle shows that the FRSC is going to take Nigeria to where the rest of the world is.”

 

How 409 Nigerians Are Being Discriminated in South African Prisons.....

 

The House of Representatives has come out to condemn the ill-treatment and discrimination against Nigerians living in South Africa, stressing that over 409 convicts were currently serving jail terms there.

Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewam, the Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora, disclosed this in a statement issued after the committee’s visit to two prisons in South Africa. She described the increasing number of Nigerians in foreign prisons as “ridiculously embarrassing.”

The representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos State, Dabiri-Erewa, who visited the prisons alongside two members of the committee, Ajibola Famurewa and Umaru Shidanfi, consular officers of the Nigerian Embassy and executives of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, disclosed that over 400,000 Nigerians were currently living in South Africa.

During her interaction with some inmates, the lawmaker explained that some of them confessed that they had been denied their freedom, despite completing their jail terms.

“The inmates complained of extreme discrimination by the prison authorities in South Africa. The law enforcement officers always maltreat citizens of Nigeria for unjustifiable reasons. Sometimes, the authorities tore into pieces their Nigerian passports among several other allegations and refused to grant them bail, while others from other countries that committed similar bailable offence were granted bail.”  

Edo State PDP To Pay Abused Widow N250,000 – Governor Oshiomhole Under Fire 

 

PDP party members in Edo State have used Governor Adams Oshiomhole‘s misbehaviour to their advantage.

Days after the governor abused a poor widow for hawking illegally in Benin city, an endowment fund has been set up for the oppressed widow.

The woman in the video has been invited to PDP secretariat in Benin city to collect 250,000 naira in order to relieve her of pain.

Here is an official letter from Edo state Peoples Democratic Party:

PDP ENDOWMENT FUND FOR OPPRESSED WIDOW

Edo PDP watched with consternation Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s brutal, inhuman and merciless treatment of a widow street-trader whose wares he ordered seized and who he unfeelingly told to ‘…go and die’ even as she knelt down in fervent protestations and appeals to his pity on a helpless widow.

The governor’s actions are appalling, insensate, disgraceful, indecent, cruel and below board. It is clear that he does not care much about the well being of the people as he pretentiously avowed. Our hearts go to that hapless widow in this her time of travails and through her, to other widows who have been oppressed by the unfriendly policies of the administration in Edo State.

The PDP, Edo State will not let any Edo person ‘to go and die’ if it can help it, especially not hardworking people like that widow who are engaged in lawful enterprises that are, in themselves, not easy to carry on.

To this end, our party has instituted an endowment fund for all widows and oppressed people in the state and by this release, we invite the widow captured in the video of the encounter with Governor Oshiomhole to come to the PDP Secretariat on No. 70, Sapele Road, at 11am on Tuesday December 3, 2013 to receive a first-installment sum of N250,000.00 to cushion the pain, trauma and loss occasioned by her mistreatment and the seizure of the items she sells.

Governance is about the people and as a responsible National Institution, Edo PDP cannot be unconcerned about the wrong treatment of indigenes of the state to whom the present administration promised heaven just to win their votes. We will continue to stand in the gap to ensure that Edo people are deservedly fairly treatment

If Governor Oshiomhole believes that Edo People sinned by voting him into office, let him remember that he will account for his actions, if not to the people because he apparently does not think much of them, but to God Almighty in the short or long run.

We thank all those who have been humanely concerned about the plight of the widow and have stood out vehemently against the crying shame that was the insensitive action of a governor who seems bent on repaying electoral favor with ingratitude.

Signed.
Chief Dan Osi Orbih
Chairman, PDP
Edo State.
 

Police arraign lawmaker on criminal charges

The police in Zamfara on Friday filed criminal charges against Sen. Yarima Bakura and 29 others at a Zamfara High Court over alleged conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the police took the men to the Zamfara High Cour in Gusau on alleged conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Counsel to the police, Mr Oloye Torugbene, sought the leave of the court to hear the case, pursuant to the Criminal Procedure, to prosecute the case.

He told the court that all relevant documents, including affidavits, exhibits, names and addresses of accused persons, as well as written statements of witnesses and the accused persons, had been submitted to the court.

He therefore urged the court to proffer a criminal charge based on the evidence provided for prosecution.

He said already, the accused persons who had been served arraignment notice, were released through police administrative bail and pleaded with the court to fix a date for hearing.

In her ruling on the application, the judge, who is also the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kulu Aliyu, said the court was competent to handle the case.

Aliyu urged the prosecutor to serve the accused persons with all the relevant documents and fixed Jan. 13, 2014 for hearing.

NAN recalled that Rep. Ibrahim Shehu, representing Gusau/Tsafe constituency, had in June alleged that some people mobilised some thugs to kill him.

He alleged that during the incident, the attackers removed large sum of money from his vehicle.

He, however, reported the case to the Inspector-General of Police, who set up an investigation that led to the court case.

 

Helicopter crashes into crowded Scottish pub

A police helicopter crashed into the roof of a pub crowded with Friday-night revelers in the Scottish city of Glasgow, trapping a number people under the debris, rescuers and witnesses said.

Urban search and rescue specialists joined firefighters in the search for possible victims inside The Clutha Bar, a one-story pub near the banks of the River Clyde, according to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“I can confirm there are a number of casualties but it is too early at this stage to provide further details,” Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick of the Scotland Police said in a written statement.

The helicopter, carrying two police officers and a civilian pilot, crashed on the roof of the pub at 10:25 p.m. local time, Scottish police said.

“Given an incident of this scale we must all prepare ourselves for the likelihood of fatalities,” the head of the Scottish government, Alex Salmond, said in a post on his official Twitter account.

The crash occurred as patrons listened to the self-styled ska band Esperanza, which had taken the stage at the pub a short time earlier.

Jim Murphy, a member of the UK Parliament, said he arrived at the pub just moments after the crash and saw people trying to get out of the building.

“Most of the helicopter appeared to be inside the pub,” said Murphy, who represents a portion of Glasgow.

Murphy estimated he saw at least 10 people who were injured, including some who were struggling with consciousness and others who were bleeding from head wounds.

Court frees 2 Hezbollah linked Lebanese, jails another for life

A Nigerian Federal High Court siting in Abuja on Friday discharged and acquitted two Lebanese, Mr. Mustapha Fawaz and Mr. Abdullahi Thahini alongside their companies; Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park, both in Abuja of any complicity in an amended 16 count charge of terrorism related offences brought against them by the Department of State Security Service.
However, their 59 year old fellow citizen and co accused, Mr. Tahal Roda, was found guilty in five out of the 16 counts which relate to conspiracy, offences that carry life sentence each.
The Lebanese were charged for being members of Hezbollah military wing who allegedly, agreed to receive training in preparation to engage in the commission of a terrorist act.
They were also accused to have knowingly permitted a meeting connected with an act of terrorism to be held in the premises of Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park and Resort.
Mr. Thahini was accused of being the coordinator of Hezbollah in Nigeria and was charged with involving himself in an arrangement to facilitate the acquisition of terrorist funds by removal out of jurisdiction of the sum of $61,000.


The court presided by Justice Adeniyi Ademola held that the prosecution led by Mr Simon Egede failed to prove the ingredients of the counts of the charge as they relate to Mr. Fawaz and Mr. Thahini beyond reasonable doubt.
The court held that the first six counts of the charge boarder on terrorism and related offences where the Lebanese were alleged to be members of Hezbollah military wing and noted that there is no federal government gazette proscribing the organization as an international terrorist organization in Nigeria and held that the recently passed Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013, cannot be applied retrogressively to cover the training received by the accused persons from the organization in 2005.
Justice Adeniyi also berated the prosecution for not tendering the weapons allegedly recovered from the premises occupied by Mr. Tahal Roda, in Kano state noting that the non tendering of the cache of arms by the prosecution dealt a fatal blow to their case. Furthermore, the judge also gave knocks to the prosecution team for only tendering still photographs and digital recordings of the recovered weapons without bringing the makers of those exhibits to come and lay foundation for the exhibit as well as offer the defense opportunity to cross examine them on the types of weapons that were allegedly recovered.
However, the counts of the charge alleging that Mr. Tahal Roda conspired with one Mr. Fauzi who is said to be at large to illegally import those weapons were upheld by the court which found Roda guilty on counts seven and nine of the charge bordering on conspiracy and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The 59 year old Roda was born in Kano state and has lived most of his years in Kano state, except for very occasional trips to Lebanon and is also a grand father. Both his children and grand children were all delivered in Kano, northern Nigeria.
The Lebanese were arrested following the arrest of Mr. Thahini at the Aminu Kano International Airport for failing to declare the sum of $61, 000 USD in his possession. Interrogation led to a search at the premises occupied by Roda where the cache of illegal arms and ammunition was found. They were subsequently arrested and transported to Abuja for trial.

 

Dr Sid and fiancée Lawyer Simi Osomo are too cute. Simi announced that she had been called to bar today.



Dr Sid also replied with an equally adorable congratulatory message. The pair who are due to wed in 2014 are currently celebrating the good news in Abuja, Nigeria. Congratulations Simi!

Egypt jails girls over pro-Morsi demonstration

 

A court in Egypt has sentenced 21 female supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi to 11 years in prison.

They were found guilty of multiple charges, including belonging to a terrorist group, obstructing traffic, sabotage and using force at a protest in the city of Alexandria last month.
Seven are under 18 years of age and will be sent to a juvenile prison.
Human rights groups criticised the sentences, with one campaigner describing the verdict as madness.
The women and girls had taken part in an early morning demonstration in support of Mr Morsi.
Relatives say it was the first protest by the group, called the 7am movement, and that it was peaceful.
One family told the BBC their 15-year-old daughter was only passing by on her way to school.
A defence lawyer said the women expected to be sentenced to a month in jail at most.
But the BBC’s Orla Guerin in Cairo says that instead they have been given longer jail terms than police convicted of killing or seriously injuring civilians.

 

Police declare oil marketer wanted for N2bn fraud

 

The Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos State, has declared the Managing Director of Fargo Petroleum Limited, Seun Ogunbambo, wanted.

The unit, which is a department of the Nigeria Police Force that investigates white collar crime, said Ogunbambo, was wanted in connection with the fuel subsidy payment fraud.

A statement by the SFU Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, said Ogunbambo allegedly presented forged documents to receive payment of N2bn in subsidy claims from the Federal Government of Nigeria.

It read in part, “A petition from the Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payments to the SFU alleged that Eurafric Oil and Coastal Services Limited was granted permit to import petrol between 2010 and 2011.

“The company claimed that it imported 85,519,068 litres of petrol into the country in six transactions.  Based on this, it applied for payment and N6,130,006,149.30 was paid as subsidy by the Federal Government.”

The petition said it was later discovered that Eurafric did not execute the transaction as claimed, but had traded off the permit to a third party company,  Tubbs Marine Services Limited,  for N65m.

It was alleged that Ogunbambo did not import any product based on the permit, but allegedly arranged forged documents with which he applied and received payment of over N2bn.

“The suspect is on the run.  All efforts made to locate him at his last known address at No. 2, Olamijuyin Avenue, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, and 95 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, proved abortive.

“He is hereby declared wanted by the office of the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit, 13, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Anybody with useful information regarding his whereabouts should contact the SFU,” the statement added.

 

Latvia PM Resigns After Supermarket Roof Collapse That Killed 54

 
The Prime Minister of Latvia, Valdis Dombrovskis, resigned today Wednesday November 27th after saying he is politically responsible for the collapse of a supermarket roof that killed 54 people and wounded at least 40 others last week, the Associated Press reports.

The roof of Maxima Supermarket located in Riga collapsed on Thursday November 21 killing several people including three rescue workers. 39 others were seriously injured. The supermarket collapse is said to be the worst disaster in Latvia since 1950.

Dombrovskis, who was the longest-serving prime minister of Latvia (2009 - 2013) felt to guilty about the tragic incident that he resigned.

mysterious Healing River 'Orimiri Jordan' Appears In Enugu state



A healing river was reportedly discovered in Nachi Oji River in Enugu State, last week.
According to reports, it's a mystery to the people of Nachi for decades, was nick named the “Pool of Bethsaida” and appears every 20 years, as confirmed by the indigenes.

This year, the pool was discovered by fulani herdsmen who were on their way to feed their cattle. According to them, they passed the spot where the water usually came from and there wasn’t any water, but on their way back they discovered the whole place has been covered with water.According to the oldest man in the community, the water appears every 20 or 30 years, they first saw
it in 1971.
He also confirmed that various diseases and ailments have been cured at the pool.
The water stays for 1 to 2 weeks then dries up, and most people who visited the area gave testimonies on how they received healing from the water.

Man stabs alleged homosexual boss to death

 

A 22-year-old man, Eji Emmanuel, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for the alleged murder of a 39-year-old trader, Sylvanus Okoye.

According to the police, the suspect stabbed the deceased to death at his home on Ezemegbu Drive, Okota in August.

The suspect, however, explained that he killed the deceased in self-defence.

He alleged that on the day of the incident, Okoye had attempted to rape him.

Explaining the events that culminated in Okoye’s death, the suspect said he was a dancer and was lured to Lagos by a friend, Chukwudi, under the guise of doing music business only for the friend to introduce him to homosexuality.

He said he had gone to report the matter to his friend’s boss but his friend’s boss raped him twice and he reported the matter at the FESTAC Police Division.

He said the matter was transferred to the Zone 2 Police Command and the case was turned against him after which he spent two weeks in detention.

He said he had approached Okoye, who he considered an Igbo leader in the state, to help him with money to return to Anambra State when Okoye also attempted to rape him.

 He said, “I went along with a relative to report the matter to Okoye and he gave my friend and I N5,000 and shirts. He  told us not to worry, so we slept over at his house. At midnight, however, Okoye came to my room and attempted to have sex with me but I refused him.

“My relative later told me that Okoye had sex with him in the parlour that same night. We left in the morning and returned to Anambra State. From there, I went to Abuja where I remained for four months. However, one day, Okoye called me that he had a business deal and invited me to come to Lagos.

“I told Okoye that I would not engage in any act of homosexuality and he agreed.”

The suspect said when he returned to Lagos, the deceased said he wanted to open a bar in the area and wanted him to manage the business.

He said he passed the night at the deceased’s home, but at midnight, the deceased crept into his room and attempted to make love to him.

He said, “In the evening, Okoye served me with bread, butter and tea in my room. Around 3.30am, he crept into my room and wanted to sleep with me, but I refused him.

“Okoye was a big man so he attempted to overpower me, but I picked up the bread knife that was still left in the room and stabbed him in the neck, but he did not die.

“I picked up a flexible iron and bound it round his neck and locked him inside the room.

“When it was 6am, I stepped out of the house and gave the key to one woman beside the gate and fled.”

It had been reported on August 16, 2013, that Okoye was found murdered in his home two weeks after he was last seen by neighbours.

It was learnt that following the discovery, the security guard and the woman whom the suspect handed the key to were arrested by detectives at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba.

we learnt that after three months, detectives were able to locate the suspect in Anambra State.

A police detective said, “The security guard told us that he could identify the suspect if he saw him.

“In the course of investigation, we obtained call logs from Okoye’s phone and we learnt that the suspect had used Okoye’s phone to call his girlfriend in Anambra State shortly after killing Okoye.

“We travelled to Anambra State and we were able to locate the suspect who was even wearing the deceased’s clothes.”

The suspect, however, insisted that he was not a killer but a victim of circumstance.

He said, “My father and my brother are dead. I am the only child of my mother. Who will take care of her if I am sent to prison?

“I am not a homosexual but I was used. I tried for several months to impregnate my girlfriend but was not successful. I feel they have stolen my virtues.”

Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed Emmanuel’s arrest to our correspondent on the telephone.

Braide added that the police were still working to establish it the the victim was a homosexual or not as alleged by the suspect.

 

Rice scarcity imminent as importation drops

 

The price of rice is rising steadily ahead of the festive season. Investigations by our correspondent on Monday showed that the rise was between 31 per cent and 36 per cent.

The increase, which began in October, witnessed a sudden surge in November and is expected to go higher in the coming weeks.

At the Daleko Market in Lagos, where most distributors sell the commodity to retailers, its price in the last few weeks has risen from N9,500 to N13,000 for 50kg bag of the big seed rice and from N8,000 to N10,000 for the small seed.

Although prices vary for other brands of Nigerian rice, which is the term used for the varieties brought into the country through the Nigerian ports; the price is expected to rise further in the next few weeks to N14, 000.

A distributor with Kambel Rice Limited, Ms. Uzoma Okeke, who spoke with our correspondent, said the imported rice had become expensive since the import duty was raised by 35 per cent in January this year.

“Everybody sells as they like but the agric rice that we now sell for N10,000 was N8,000 and some others that we sell between N11,500 and N13,000 were N9,500. So, for the festive season, we expect it to rise to N14,000 or N15,000,” she said.

Traders in other major rice markets in Lagos, including Mile 12, Sango Ota, Iddo and Alaba, sell within the same price range.

Apart from the high prices, there are also indications that rice may not be readily available during the festive period this year.

As of last week, some operators of popular warehouses in Lagos serving as depots for rice told our correspondent that they had run out of supplies.

A representative of IBB Warehouse at the Mile 12 Market, who gave his name as Balogun, told us that the warehouse was expecting a fresh consignment but was not sure of getting a sufficient supply.

“Nobody is hoarding rice like before. If you go round the market, there is no rice at all,” he stated.

A distributor at the Sango Ota Market in Ogun State, who identified himself simply as Ahmed, told our correspondent that distributors in the market did not have imported rice, adding that many were selling Cotonou rice such as the Spring, Tomato, Royal Tie brands.

He said, “The Federal Government gave 2016 for the local rice to flood the market but we are not seeing any signs yet. If you go round this market, you will hardly find it; they are just encouraging smuggling which is killing the rice market.”

Our correspondent also found out from the Shipping Position, a daily report by the Nigerian Ports Authority, that all of the vessels expected at the Tin Can Island and Apapa Ports, up till November 30, none contained rice.

The report indicated an estimated 87,750 metric tonnes of rice was imported into the country between January and September, 2013 as against the 1.78 million metric tonnes for the same period in 2012.

Official importation of rice began to drop when the Federal Government increased import duty after it disclosed that about $150bn would be spent to meet the country’s annual rice demand by 2050 with the import of an estimated 36 million metric tonnes.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, had said that the country was the largest importer of rice in the world. And with the rise in population, the demand for rice would rise from the current five million metric tonnes to 36 million metric tonnes.

He said the situation called for a radical action; hence the need to encourage the production and milling of local rice. He stressed the need to raise the tariffs on imported brown and finished rice to discourage imports.

The minister gave the brands of local rice being cultivated as Miva and Ashi from Benue, Abakaliki rice from Ebonyi State and Umza rice from Kano.

But an investigation by our correspondent showed that the local rice was still not available in the market.

And where it is available, it is sold in cups or in a few cases, in 50 kg bags from N28,000 to N30,000, depending on one’s bargaining power.

“Nigeria doesn’t have rice; if there is local rice, it should be in the villages because here in the city, there is nothing like local rice,” a trader at Daleko market said.

The ban on rice importation, causing scarcity of the commodity, has reportedly increased the activities of smugglers, who bring in rice through the Cotonou border.

The President of Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria, Mr. Tunji Owoeye, who spoke with our correspondent on local rice production, said the Federal Government’s incentives for local rice processing had only increased the production of paddy rice, not the finished product that could be sold in the market.

According to him, smuggling remains a major problem in the production of local rice in the country.

“If a bag of smuggled rice is sold between N7,000 and N8,000 and a bag of paddy goes for N6,000, how will local companies cope when they still have to spend almost that amount or even more to process the rice? This has made many of the processing companies to close shop since they are not competing well,” he said.

 

Robbery: Student to die by hanging in Benue

A Makurdi High Court on Tuesday sentenced Jacob Atongo, a 100-Level Sociology student of the Benue State University, to death by hanging for armed robbery.
In his judgment, Justice Adam Onum held that he was satisfied with the confession of the accused to the charges and therefore, found him guilty.
Onum sentenced the accused to death by hanging, insisting that the sentence prescribed under the law for the offence must be followed.
Atongo allegedly conspired with two others and robbed Stephen Akuma, and several others at gunpoint on June 26, 2012.
The convict and his accomplices robbed Akuma of his Toyota Camry car with number plate Benue AID 39 AA, and other victims of valuables, including various sums of money.
He also attacked Judges’ Quarters, Makurdi on July 3, 2012 and robbed no fewer than 15 people, dispossessing them of various items and money at gunpoint.
The offences contravened the Robbery and Firearms Laws.
During the proceedings, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and testified for himself along with one witness called by his counsel.
Prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered several exhibits, which included two statements made by the convict to the police.
In statements, according to the prosecution, the convict confessed to the commission of the offences.
But counsel for the accused, Mr E.Z. Agbakor, argued that the prosecution failed to prove the case against his client beyond all reasonable doubt.

 

‘Teacher detained four days for taking policeman’s pictures’

 

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Pre-Adult Affairs Organisation, has accused the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, of illegally arresting and detaining a teacher, Abragahou Aminu, for four days for taking a picture of a policeman.

The organisation said the detention of Aminu, a Togolese, constituted a breach of his fundamental human rights.

Executive Director, PAAO, Sandra Duru, in a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police, said, “Aminu was arrested on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 and kept in four different police detention cells before his kangaroo arraignment on Saturday November 23, 2013.

“All moves made by us to secure his release on bail were rejected by your men in Lagos command acting on the instruction of Ngozi Braide, Lagos PPRO. Aminu was first arbitrarily detained at Ketu Police Station, from Ketu, he was transferred to the PPRO’s office where he was harassed for hours.

“From PPRO’s office, the innocent Aminu was transferred to Area F detention cell and from Area F to X-squad cell. All these acts of injustice and unprofessionalism were perpetrated by your men simply because a man was caught recording an incident with his mobile phone.

“Sir, may we bring to your notice that the police possess no power to keep an accused in custody for more than 48 hours at most. We also remind you that the PPRO’s office is not meant for the torturing of an accused. We also inform you that the X squad detention cell that Aminu was detained for about 96 hours wasn’t meant for civilians but for that of undisciplined officers.”

 Duru alleged that Aminu wrote his statement under duress while in police custody, while the pictures were deleted from his phone.

She added that Aminu had lost his teaching job due to his prolonged detention and demanded that the police compensate him.

Braide however refuted Duru’s claims saying that Aminu was neither tortured nor threatened.

Braide said at least three police personnel had been dismissed in the state after videos had been tendered as evidence against them by members of the public.

She said, “The police as an organisation have nothing against members of the public taking pictures or videoing errant policemen in the act as this helps us to identify and expunge the bad eggs among us.

“However, we do not condone people taking pictures of policemen on duty for no reason at all. The nature of our job involves security and we cannot allow people to be taking pictures at random because the pictures could be used for ulterior motives.

“The suspect was brought in and his interrogation was recorded on video. Did you see any marks on his body? He was detained at the X squad which investigated the matter. The suspect was neither tortured nor beaten and has even been charged to court.”

Investigation, however, revealed that Aminu was taking pictures of a policeman having an altercation with a commercial bus driver around Ketu Bus Stop on November 19, 2013.

It was learnt that Aminu was caught by a policewoman and subsequently detained at the Ketu Police Station after which he was transferred to the office of the Police Public Relations Officer the following day.

The suspect, while being interviewed by Braide in the presence of journalists, said he took the pictures because of the “action” at the scene.

He had said, “I am a French teacher at the Supreme Education Foundation, Magodo. I was walking by the bus stop when a policeman ordered a commercial bus to stop. The bus driver drove recklessly and almost hit the policeman and an argument ensued.

“When I saw this, I brought out my phone and began to take pictures because I felt the bus driver should not have driven in such a manner. Also, I felt the policeman should not have jumped in front of a speeding vehicle.”

The suspect was, however, made to write a statement at the PPRO’s office and a letter of apology before being transferred to the Lagos State Police  Command Headquarters where he was detained at the X Squad department

 

My husband planned using me for money ritual –Cleric’s wife

A trader on Tuesday prayed an Orile-Agege Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve her 27-year-old marriage to a pastor over the man’s alleged plan to use her for ritual purposes.
Fifty-two-year-old Roseline Seseboh submitted that she had packed out of her matrimonial home because of the alleged plan.
She said her husband,  Oluwalomo was desperate to be wealthy and would not mind to sacrifice any of his family members.
“My stomach became swollen as if I was pregnant with twins. I carried this shame for months until I consulted some elders. It was then I was told that my husband wanted to use me for a ritual and that he would carry out this plan through sexual intercourse with me,” she said.
Roseline submitted that she left her matrimonial home at midnight when Oluwalomo attempted to force her to have sexual intercourse with him in an attempt to carry out the plan.
“My husband is evil; he can use our children for rituals if he cannot get me. He is desperate to make money. I want the custody of my children,” Roseline, mother  of seven and resident of  1, Anjorin Street, Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, said.
Oluwalomo denied the allegations but consented to the dissolution of the union.
“Roseline is blackmailing me because she found another man’s arm to fall on. She is adulterous and wicked. My wife was punished in our church when she was caught on another man’s bed,” the resident of 29, Isale Oro Street, Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, submitted.
The Court President, Mr. Adegboyega Omilola, ordered the couple to maintain the peace, and adjourned the case till December 9 for judgment.

 

Lagos Directs Drivers To Register With VIO

As part of its efforts to reform the transportation sector, the Lagos State Government has directed vehicle owners, drivers and their conductors to go and register at the nearest Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIOs) nearest to them.
The directive, the transportation ministry stated, was to sustain security and safety already established in the state by the traffic law.
Giving credence to the directive, the Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, has directed commuter bus drivers in Lagos to go for accreditation of their vehicles at various Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIO) in the state.
He said the accreditation of the owners of commuters buses was meant to ensure that all operators were captured in the state government’s data base to curtail atrocities and crimes committed with the use of unregistered commercial buses.
Agbede warned bus drivers in the state to take the issue of accreditation and registration seriously. “Government wants to use the programme to prevent kidnapping, robbery and other crimes perpetrated by the usage of unregistered commercial vehicles,” he added.
Agbede explained that he had already informed members of the union during the last monthly meeting on the importance attached to the accreditation exercise.
He advised members to go for the accreditation exercise before the commencement of the enforcement by the state government.

 

Suspected Killer Of Nigerian Student, Adobi Obih, Ryan Klug Arrested In Texas





















The prime suspect in the murder of 26 year old Nigerian, Adaobi. M. Obih, has been apprehended in Texas. Ryan Allen Klug was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals near Galveston, Texas on Saturday November 23rd, four days after his roommate Adaobi was found dead in the flat they shared.

A full time test engineer at Cummins Inc., Adaobi only began to pursue her PHD before she was murdered. Family sources said she leased the apartment on her own and Klug was her tenant who paid rent to her. They also said Ada interviewed a large number of people before deciding to lease a room to Klug. Only for her to end up killing her.

Ada's employees were alerted after she missed two days of work. They went to her flat to see what was going on with her only to find her lifeless body in her apartment. Ada had been stabbed multiple times and her throat cut.

Libyan army clashes with Islamist militants, three killed

Clashes between Libyan troops and militants in the eastern city of Benghazi on Monday killed at least three people and wounded dozens during a military operation, officials have said.

Libya’s new military, which is still in training, is struggling to curb Islamist militants and militias who fought in the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi but have refused to disarm.

Reports indicate that the development presents a delicate situation as the militants and militias control parts of the country.

However, security and medical officials on Monday said gunfire and explosions could be heard in Benghazi while thick smoke rose from the Ras Obeida area.

The army has since ordered residents to stay off the city streets, witnesses said.

Benghazi city security officials said fighting broke out when an army Special Forces Unit pursued a suspect into an area where Islamist militant group Ansar al-Sharia operates its own checkpoints.

Ansar al-Sharia was blamed for the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi a year ago, when the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed.

The chaos in Libya is worrying its neighbours and the western powers which backed the 2011 uprising.

The uprising had led to the fall of Gaddafi two years ago in one of the Arab Spring revolts.

The Prime Minister, Ali Zeidan, who was briefly abducted by a militia last month, met U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague in London on Sunday.

The meeting was to discuss co-operation.

Rival militia groups withdrew from Tripoli last week after clashes killed more than 40 people when protesters marched to one of the militia bases to demand they leave the city.

Hoping to co-opt former fighters, the government had hired militia groups to provide security.

But they have remained loyal to their commanders or tribes, and often clash in disputes over territory or personal feuds.

The U.S. military, Britain, France, NATO and Turkey have all promised aid for the OPEC country’s armed forces.

But most of the programmes are just beginning and the military is still no match for the armed groups.

 

Major smuggling tunnel found under US-Mexico border

US and Mexican authorities locate a sophisticated smuggling tunnel running under the border between Tijuana and San Diego

A sophisticated smuggling tunnel equipped with a rail system, lighting and ventilation has been discovered running under the US-Mexico border between Tijuana and San Diego, authorities in the two countries said.

Four tonnes of marijuana had so far been recovered from a building near the tunnel's entrance close to Tijuana's airport, Mexican officials told daily newspaper El Universal.

The tunnel stretched for 150 metres under the border at a depth of 20 metres, police said. It was unclear on Thursday to which drug gang the tunnel belonged, but a number of previously discovered passages have been operated by the Sinaloa Cartel.

The country's largest and most powerful drug gang, the Sinaloa Cartel controls huge swaths of territory along the US border. It operates a thriving trafficking trade which in recent years earned its notorious kingpin, Joaquin "El Chapo (Shorty) Guzman, a spot on the Forbes list of the world's richest people, with a fortune of an estimated $1 billion in 2012.

Mexico's cartels have had to come up with increasingly inventive smuggling methods in the face of a nationwide security offensive launched by former president Felipe Calderon in 2006. The crackdown has unleashed a bloody drug war in which an estimated 70,000 people have died, many of them in border areas.

As security forces turn up the heat, drug gangs have increasingly engaged in brutal battles for territorial control, with the Sinaloa Cartel finally asserting its dominance in a number of key smuggling routes in the north of the country.
Authorities in Mexico said that the tunnel was found by members of the Mexican army working with local police. They had then informed the US Drug Enforcement Agency, which located the exit of the underground passage across the border in San Diego.
The passage was recently completed, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement.
More than 100 "narcotunnels" have been discovered along the US-Mexico border since 2005, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.

Man fatally shot near bus shelter 

A 34-year-old man was fatally shot near a bus shelter on the Far South Side in one of four shootings in Chicago early this morning, police said.
Jeffery Whiters, of the 1200 block of West 74th Place, was shot about 12:15 a.m. near a bus shelter in the 2400 block of East 100th Street, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Police found at least nine shell casings just west of the bus shelter. The preliminary investigation suggested the shooter stepped out of a vehicle while Whiters was standing near the shelter, police said.
Officers were called to the block for a call of shots fired and did not immediately see anyone shot. Whiters was found lying between a two-story brick home and a chain link fence, police said.

He was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 2:47 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
About 2 a.m., a 20-year-old man was shot in the 1400 block of West 72nd Place.
Police said the shooting happened after the man crashed a minivan into a tree and fire hydrant on the south side of the street. It appeared the man left the vehicle after the crash and was shot in the abdomen, police said.
He was taken to Advocate Christ, where his condition was stabilized.
About 4:30 a.m., a 21-year-old man arrived at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County with a gunshot wound to the leg, police said.
The shooting happened near the intersection of West Roosevelt Road and South Morgan Street.
A 29-year-old man was shot about 6 a.m. in the 4700 block of South Michigan Avenue, police said, citing preliminary information.
The man sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was taking to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious condition, poilce said.

 

UK Rapper, Chip Arrives Nigeria For “Fire of Zamani” Concert  

Sony Music United Kingdom rapper, Chip, formerly known as Chipmunk, arrived Lagos for the first time this morning ahead of Ice Prince’s “Fire Of Zamani” concert.
The Champion hit maker who featured on the Ice Prince’s track “Mercy” will be performing for at least 15 minutes at the concert which will take place at Eko Hotel & Suites tomorrow evening 23 November.
“Fans should get ready for an over dose of excitement,” said Chip on arrival.
The British rapper will be performing at the concert alongside American-Nigerian star rapper Wale.
Other artistes expected to perform at the concert include Modenine, M.I, Olamide, Phyno, Burna Boy, Yung El, Jeremiah Gyang and Ice Prince, the host.
The grand concert will mark the official launch of Ice Prince’s Fire Of Zamani album, his sophomore which was released on 28 October.

 

Egypt expels Turkish ambassador

Egypt has told the Turkish ambassador to leave the country and downgraded relations between the two countries.

It follows remarks by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Cairo deemed “provocative”.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said relations with Ankara would be lowered to charge d’affaires, blaming Turkey’s continued “interference” in its internal affairs.
Turkey has been a vocal critic of the military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July.
Mr Morsi, who is in prison awaiting trial, has denounced as illegitimate the court that is trying him on charges of inciting murder and violence.
He is one of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members that have been detained in a crackdown the interim authorities have portrayed as a struggle against “terrorism”.
Hundreds of people have also been killed in clashes with security forces.

 

UNIJOS wins $8m grant from World Bank

A Nigerian university in the city of Jos has received an eight million dollar grant from the World Bank to establish an African Centre of Excellence to research on the production of drugs from plants (phytomedicine).
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Hayward Mafuyai, made the fact known in Jos on Friday when he briefed newsmen on the research activities of the institution.
He said that the award was given based on the university’s entry in the call by the bank for research initiatives from African universities.
“We competed with about 52 universities in Africa and we were lucky to win the grant. The grant was given to the university to conduct researches to produce modern drugs from plants in Africa. It will be used to conduct researches on different leaves, roots and plants so as to extract their medicinal contents for the use of human beings.
“The team of researchers from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science will carry out the research. The money will be released to the researchers in phases so as to complete the work without hitches, “ he said
The vice-chancellor also said that the university emerged as the best in the category of universities in the country during the second Education Innovation Exhibition announced in Abuja on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
He said that “the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Science and Technology organised the exhibition.
“The team of researchers from the university has produced some drugs for the use of Nigerians. Our researchers have produced anti-hypertension, anti-diabetes, anti-malaria drugs and anti snake venom.
“We have sent the newly developed drugs to some overseas universities for further verification on their potency,“ he said
Mafuyai said that the institution had also signed a Memorandum (MoU) of Understanding with the university of Cape- Coast in Ghana to train its staff.
“The MOU is signed for initial three year duration for the purpose of omithology: to develop and carry out conservation based training,“ he said.
The vice-chancellor appealed to philanthropists to come to the aid of the university so that it could become the best in the country

 

IG redeploys five AIGs, names Anambra, Kogi CPs

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, on Friday announced the redeployment of five assistant inspectors-general of police and named new commissioners of police.
The information was contained in a statement by the Force Public Relations, CSP Frank Mba, in Abuja.
Those affected in the redeployment are AIG Ballah Nasarawa, who will take charge of Zone 9, Umuahia; AIG David Omojola takes charge of  Zone 11, Osogbo, and AIG Tambari Mohammed moves to Zone 1, Kano.
Others are AIG Mohammed Gana, Zone 12, Bauchi, while AIG Edgar Nanakumo takes charge of Force Animal Branch.
The new CPs for Anambra and Kogi are Usman Gwary and Saidu Madaki respectively.
The statement said the redeployment was in line with efforts at building a people-friendly police for the rendering of an effective and efficient service delivery.
It stated that the posting would take effect immediately.

 

Jonathan ill in London, fails to meet investors

 

Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan has fallen ill in London and could not attend the meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors’ Council, which started today.
President Jonathan who clocked 56 years yesterday “became indisposed and could not be present at the opening of the meeting today”, a statement by Reuben Abati said today.
According to Abati, President Jonathan “has since been examined by competent medical practitioners. He has been advised to rest for a few days.”
“The Presidency wishes to assure all Nigerians that President Jonathan’s condition is nothing serious and that the medical attention he has sought is only precautionary”, the statement added.
Abati did not reveal the cause of the sudden illness. He did not also state whether the illness will affect Jonathan’s scheduled return to Abuja on Saturday. On Sunday, President Jonathan is scheduled to hold a meeting with seven opposition governors in his ruling party, the PDP.
Jonathan is not publicly known to be suffering from any serious medical conditions.
He assumed the presidency in 2010 following the death of his predecessor Musa Yar’Adua.
Yar’Adua’s protracted illness, details of which were kept from the public, sparked a months-long political crisis in Africa’s most populous country.
Jonathan arrived London yesterday morning for the meeting with HIIC, which was slated to last three days.
He was received at the Luton Airport by officials of the Nigerian High Commission, led by Dr. Dalhatu Tafida.
Issues on the agenda of the meeting include generating long-term affordable finance for Nigeria’s real sector, developing Nigeria’s private equity and venture capital sectors to attract more foreign investments as well as Nigeria’s information and communications technology master-plan.
The meeting of the council which is coordinated by Baroness Lynda Chalker will also feature a review of Nigeria’s existing investment policies by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Paris-based international organization dedicated to the promotion of policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
Members of the council include the CEO of the Investment Corporation of Dubai, Mr. Mohammed al Shaibani, a former South African Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr. Alec Erwin, the Vice President of Hewlett-Packard’s Enterprise Group in Europe, Middle-East and Africa, Mr. Olivier Suinat, a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shaukat Aziz and the Director of Shell’s International Upstream Business, Mr. Andrew Brown.
President Jonathan was accompanied by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, Senator Nenadi Usman, Hon. Sylvester Ogbaga, Hon. Isiaka Bawa, the Coordinating of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Dr. Olusegun Aganga and the Governor of the Central Bank, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi.
Others on the President’s entourage include the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, the Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, the Minister of State (Foreign Affairs), Prof. Viola Onwuliri and heads of relevant government agencies.

 

A day gov: Al-Makura hands over to teenager 

NASARAWA State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, on Wednesday, handed over the mantle of leadership to Master Richard Agah, the Speaker of the state’s Children Parliament for one day, as part of activities marking his 61st birthday.

Al-Makura, while handing over power at the Government House in Lafia, the state capital, during the state executive council meeting, said the ceremonial exercise became imperative considering the role children played in the socio-economic development of the state and the country at large.
Shortly after his assumption of office, “Governor Agah’’ called for peace among the people of the state irrespective of ethnic and religious leaning, saying the dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the state were to ensure unity, peace, love, brotherliness and progress for the benefit of all.
“We the children of Nasarawa State are not happy that our parents and elders are fighting one another on the bases of religion, tribe and politics. We believe that we are all of the same religion, tribe and share the same dreams and aspiration,” he added.
He admonished the people to eschew violence, lay down their arms and embrace peace and consciously work to build a united and strong Nasarawa State.

Special Forces raid B’Haram hideout, kill 20

 

Soldiers of the Special Forces have raided a hideout of members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, at Yaurakura, in the Bagudu Island of Lake Chad area of Borno State and killed 20 insurgents.

A highly placed military source, who disclosed this to one of our correspondents on Wednesday in Abuja, described the raid as a major victory against the insurgents.

It was learnt that the raid, which began on Saturday, consisted of both attack by land troops and aerial bombardment by the air force.

The raid was said to have been made possible as a result of intelligence reports and air reconnaissance operations in the area.

The source described Yaurakura as a major stronghold of the insurgents and that the area also served as an escape route on water.

The source said that the troops also seized several arms and ammunition from the Boko Haram fighters.

Among the items said to have been seized from the insurgents were sub- machine guns, BMG machine guns, rifles, rocket propelled bombs and assorted ammunitions as well as four vehicles said to be laden with Improvise Explosive Devices.

The source said, “The troops captured a stronghold of the terrorists at Yaurakura, Bagudu Island of Lake Chad and about 20 of them were killed while many were wounded.

“The arms seized from them include sub machine guns, rifles, rocket propelled bombs, assorted ammunitions, five  speed boats, a welding machine and four vehicles. The vehicles were loaded with IEDS.”

Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen Chris Olukolade, said that the Special Forces would continue the raids on the camps of the insurgents and would not allow them operate any base in and around the country.

He said that the main focus of the ongoing military raids was to ensure that the insurgents were prevented from establishing or reactivating any camp in the country.

“The onslaught against the terrorists is continuing in every direction, they will not be allowed to operate any base in Nigeria,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria on Wednesday raised the alarm over the continued killing of Christians in the north by members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect.

The association in a communiqué issued at the end of its Special Meeting in Abuja and signed by its General Secretary, Dr. Musa Asake, expressed worries that despite the state of emergency declared in the North-Eastern part of the country to curtail insurgency, the attacks on Christians had continued unabated.

The communique reads in part, “On the 3rd of this month at about 8pm, Boko Haram members attacked Ngoshe village in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State and killed eight Christians: Baba Ayuba, Baba Bitrus and Baba Isa Biyabra, the security guard and four others whose names we are yet to get.

“They burnt 11 houses owned by the Christians and three churches: EYN church, Deeper Life Bible Church and the Redeemed Christian Church of God. We were informed that when the Christian community sought to meet the state governor on this issue, he said he does not have the time to see them until February next year.”

 

Gunmen Abduct Bayelsa Commissioner's Father in Bayelsa

 

Unknown gunmen yesterday abducted Chief Nelson Tempurah, 78, the father of the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Tourism Development, Nelson Belief.
Chief Tempurahwas was kidnapped in his family home in Minibeleu community, near Akassa in Brass Local Government Area. The community leader was abducted just before 3am by seven gunmen who stormed his residence, climbing in through the roof.
A community source said in Yenagoa that the gunmen shot sporadically into the air to scare people in the neighborhood away before going for their target.
Nelson Belief confirmed the abduction of his father to newsmen in Yenagoa.  He said the kidnappers were yet to contact the family, adding, “It is quite sad that an aged and peaceful man will be abducted."
A source noted that after abducting the old man, the gunmen collected the mobile phones of those in the building including those of the help.
Spokesman of the Bayelsa Police Command, DSP Alex Akhigbe, who also confirmed the kidnap, said the command has moved into action to rescue the community leader.
"We heard about the abduction of the father of the commissioner this morning and have directed the anti-kidnapping squad to take action and ensure he is rescued immediately," Akhigbe said.

 

Former Governor Gbenga Daniel Interrogated Over Abuse of Import Waivers

Former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State spent a few hours today at the Lagos offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where he was questioned about his alleged conversion to his personal use of import waivers obtained from the Federal Government. A source at the EFCC told SaharaReporters that the illegal conversion happened when Ogun State hosted a national sports festival while Mr. Daniel was governor.
We had in 2007 revealed that the then governor was involved in a N500 million import waiver scam during his tenure as Ogun State governor.
Our source said that Mr. Daniel obtained import waivers for Ogun State as part of preparations for the 15th National Sports Festival in November 2005. The governor then sold part of the waivers to Globe Motors, owned by Willie Anumudu, for N300 million. Then Governor Daniel later stated that Globe Motors had given the Ogun State government a “donation” of N300 million in cash and cars to host the games.
After our 2007 report, the EFCC briefly arrested Mr. Anumudu, the Managing Director of Globe Motors.

However, an investigator at the EFCC told us that Mr. Daniel further abused a second import waiver which he secured for the importation of 44,000 metric tons of iron rods for the Ogun State government to build the “Gateway Games Village.” The Village was built to accommodate athletes attending the games. The controversial merchandize arrived after the games had ended in April 2006, and the governor converted the rods to his personal use, investigators said.
Our EFCC source it was not yet clear if the EFCC will file fresh charges against Mr. Daniel who is already undergoing trial for money laundering before a state High Court in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Oduahgate: Jonathan under pressure to save embattled minister

 

President Goodluck Jonathan is currently under pressure to spare the embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, over her role in the purchase of two bulletproof BMW cars by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, investigation by us has revealed.

The people that are asking Jonathan to save the neck of Oduah were said to be telling the President not to mind the report of the administrative panel he set up to investigate the minister’s role in the controversial N255m luxury cars.

The panel headed by a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Bello, had submitted its report to Jonathan since last Wednesday but the President has not said anything about its content.

A source told our correspondent that a top government official from the South-East, the same geopolitical zone with the embattled minister, is currently in the forefront of the campaign to save her.

The source however did not disclose the identities of those who have been enlisted in the campaign.

He said that part of the campaign agenda had started manifesting in a section of the media where the content of the panel’s report was being speculated with a view to giving the minister an edge.

“There is no development on the matter yet because there is a lot of pressure. We know who the arrowhead of the campaign is,” the source said.

The President will be leaving the country for London in the early hours of Wednesday (today) without making a pronouncement on the issue.

He is expected back in the country during the weekend.

The delay in making pronouncement on the report is being seen as a way of buying time for the minister.

A top Presidency source had earlier told our correspondent that the President would rather base his decision on the recommendation of the panel and shun the report of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation.

Critics at the onset had said the probe panel by Jonathan was set up to divert attention from the armoured car purchase and to also cover up the minister.

 

Senators angry with Jonathan shift of budget presentation

Members of the Senate on Tuesday lamented the inability of President Goodluck Jonathan to present the 2014 budget estimate to the joint session of the National Assembly and argued that the action was capable of delaying its early passage.
They also described as unacceptable Jonathan’s excuse that the sharp disagreement between the Senate and the House of Representatives, over the oil benchmark, caused his inability to present the budget on Tuesday.
Some of the senators, who spoke with our correspondent in separate interviews, however, maintained that the logjam would be over this week as both chambers would meet to iron out the grey areas on the oil benchmark.
Senator Kabiru Marafa from from Zamfara State said the fact that Nigeria was operating a bicameral legislature meant that both chambers must agree on the benchmark before any reasonable debate could be carried out on the budget.
He said, “We have to agree on the same benchmark because that is what the constitution of Nigeria says. It provides for bicameral legislature. No one had an upper hand above the other.we have to  agree as soon as practicable.
“We have to do away with the issue of arm twisting and impunity because this is getting too much from the executive.  Why should you peg the benchmark? You cannot eat your cake and have it. There is separation of power.
“The issue of budget is the business of the legislature. Furthermore, the issue of pegging the benchmark should be the work of the legislature. We are all Nigerians. We know what it is all about and we come up with what is realistic.”

50 ex-bankers die over unpaid benefits -Colleagues

Fifty ex-staff of non-consolidated banks in Nigeria have lost their lives following the failure of the Central Bank of
Nigeria to facilitate payment of their terminal benefits since they were disengaged in 2004.
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation and successive ministers of Finance, among others,  Here & There Gists learnt, could not also facilitate payment of benefits for the now deceased staff.
A member of the registered trustees of the association of ex-staff of non-consolidated banks, Moses Okorie, disclosed this during an interview in Enugu, on Tuesday.
Okorie explained that the demise of his colleagues was caused by the hardship they had been passing through since they were asked to go home without their terminal benefits.
He said those of them, who are still alive, could no longer take care of their families.
He insisted that payment of their terminal benefits was long overdue.
Okorie said, “All of them have relocated to their villages because they could no longer afford to stay in the township.”
At the hearing of the matter on Tuesday, the National Industrial Court sitting in Enugu, presided over by Justice A.K Ibrahim, adjourned the suit brought before it by the about 14,000 ex-bank workers against the CBN, NDIC, Ministers
of Finance and others to January 29,  2014 for adoption of written addresses.

Truck kills pregnant woman, four pedestrians in Oshodi

No fewer than five persons, among them a pregnant woman, were killed in the Oshodi area of Lagos on Tuesday when a sand-bearing truck lost control, ramming into three stationary vehicles in a motor park in the ever-busy commercial area.
The Lagos State Police Command said the driver of the truck, which belonged to The Lord Chosen Church, had been arrested after the accident where at least five other people were injured.
A statement by the command Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, on Tuesday said the crash, which occurred at noon, was due to the failed brake of the truck, popularly known as tipper.
Braide’s statement read, “The Tipper with number plate JJJ 824 XD, which is owned by the Lords Chosen Church, lost control due to brake failure and ran into three stationary vehicles in the motor park.
“Five yet-to-be-identified female pedestrians lost their lives. One of the deceased was a pregnant woman, whose fetus also gushed out, bringing the casualty figure to six in number. About five people were also injured and they are currently receiving treatment at LASUTH.
“We have apprehended the driver of the truck whose name is Lawrence Nwaodu, aged 45 year. The four vehicles involved had been taken to LASTMA office while calm has also returned to the area as policemen were able to curtail the situation.”
The PPRO reminded motorists to ensure that their vehicles were road worthy at all times to “stem the rising tide of fatal motor accidents.”

 

Lagos cholera outbreak caused by contaminated salad –FG

The Federal Government has said the 134 cases of cholera recorded in Lagos State was caused by contaminated African Salad.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Ambassador Sani Bala, said this on Monday in Abuja.

He spoke during a joint press briefing with a Non-Governmental Organisation, WaterAid Nigeria, in commemoration of this year’s first United Nations endorsed World Toilet Day with the theme, “The rural meet the urban sanitation.”

Between September and October this year, an estimated 2,771 cases and 124 deaths were reported, with case fatality rate of 4.5 per cent of cholera recorded as of November 12.

But Bala said the yearly occurrence of cholera could be stopped “if there is a mechanism to stop open defecation which will prevent contamination of water sources and foods that are major causes of cholera in the country.”

He said, “Reports from the 14 states affected by the cholera and gastroenteritis outbreak indicated that indiscriminate open defecation practice and lack of toilet facilities, which contaminated water sources and foods, were the major causes of cholera in these states.

“For instance, most of the cases of cholera in Lagos State were caused by eating contaminated salad, while Zamfara State, which recorded 1,000 cases with 50 deaths, was due to consumption of water that have been heavily contaminated with faecal matters.”

Also speaking, the Country Representative of Water Aid Nigeria, Dr. Michael Ojo, represented by the organisation’s Head of Governance, Ms. Tolani Busari, said 37 million Nigerians (23 per cent of the population) still practised open defecation, while about 100,000 children under the age of five died of diarrhoea every year.

She said, “The deadline for the world to meet its Millennium Development Goals is now only two years away, yet in Nigeria, only 31 per cent of the population has access to improved sanitation – this means about 112 million Nigerians do not have access to improved sanitation.

“A staggering 37 million (23 per cent of the population) still practice open defecation. Nearly 100,000 children under the age of five die of diarrhoea in Nigeria every year as a result of the nation’s poor levels of access to sanitation and water.

“It is not just about the unhygienic conditions; without a private toilet women and girls are vulnerable to violence, intimidation and indignity. Lack of decent sanitation also affects productivity and livelihoods.

“Women and girls living in Nigeria without toilet facilities spend 3.1 billion hours each year finding a place to toilet in the open.”

 

Money laundering: EFCC prosecutor’s absence stalls Ikuforiji’s trial

A Federal High Court, Lagos, on Tuesday, was unable to commence the trial of the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and his aide, Mr. Atoyebi Oyebode, due to the absence of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s prosecuting counsel, Mr. Godwin Obla (SAN).

It was learnt that Obla had written the court and the defence counsel that he would be absent from court because he was to deliver a paper at an undisclosed event on Tuesday.
Mr. Edward Okpe, who represented Obla at the proceedings, reminded the court that the letter was dated November 13, 2013.
Counsel, who represented the accused persons, Mr. Tunde Akinrimisi, told the court that he only got Obla’s letter seeking an adjournment just some moments before the court sitting.
He did not oppose the application for adjournment but noted that the prosecution of the case ought to be paramount.

FIRS quizzes Jimoh Ibrahim over tax liabilities

 

The Chairman of Global Fleets Limited, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, was on Monday invited by the Federal Inland Revenue Service to offer explanations about the alleged huge tax liabilities involving his company.

The development was confirmed by the Director, Communications and Liaison Department of the FIRS, Mr. Emmanuel Obeta.

Obeta, who spoke with our correspondent in a telephone interview, stated that contrary to media reports, the businessman was not arrested.

“He (Ibrahim) was invited by the FIRS to come and make some clarifications regarding issues bordering on tax liabilities,” he said.

When asked if Ibrahim was detained, the FIRS director said the businessman was only quizzed and asked to go.

“When you invite someone to come and make explanations and the invitation is honoured, the logical thing to do is to allow the person to go,” he said.

Ibrahim and the FIRS had in recent times been engaged in series of issues bothering on failure to remit taxes.

For instance, in June last year, the FIRS arrested the Managing Director, Air Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kinfe Kayssay, for the company’s alleged failure to remit N4.86bn tax liabilities to the Federal Government.

Air Nigeria is owned by Ibrahim.

Kayssay was arrested in Lagos by operatives of the FIRS and flown to Abuja for further questioning.

The tax enforcement drive that led to Kayssay’s arrest was led by the Assistant Director, Debt Enforcement and Special Prosecution Unit, FIRS, Mr. James Binang.

Obeta, while confirming the arrest of Kayssay, had said the move was aimed at recovering arrears accruing to the Federal Government from Withholding Tax and Value Added Tax.

Apart from the tax liabilities against Air Nigeria, the company was also alleged to have failed to file annual tax returns for 2011. That of 2012 is also believed to be pending.

Ibrahim, in a statement on Monday, said he was not arrested by FIRS.

He explained that the statement was meant to set the record straight.

He stated, “Our company, NICON Group, purchased 48% shares of Air Nigeria sometimes in 2010 and the Federal Inland Revenue came with alleged tax liabilities for the period of 2006 to 2010.

“They claimed that he who buys assets buys the liabilities of the company. That was in 2012.

“We requested for reconciliation of the taxes which was however not conclusive. We closed down the airline and sold our shares to a commercial bank in Nigeria .”

Ibrahim said that rather than pursuing the new owner for the taxes, FIRS instituted a civil suit against him at the Federal high court.

“The same law of who buys the assets buys the liabilities should apply, which is why FIRS should pursue the liability of Air Nigeria with the new owners,” he stated

Explaining his encounter with the agency, he said, “Yesterday (Monday) the FIRS enforcement unit solicited my assistance about the new buyer, I opted to give them the full details and documents.”

Ibrahim explained that before he gave  FIRS the details of the new owners of Air Nigeria , it (FIRS) had alleged that Air Nigeria procured tax papers in 2010 for expatriates.

 

Teammates conspiring against me —Eto’o

 

Samuel Eto’o has alleged that some of his team mates are conspiring against him ahead of the playoff against Tunisia.

Cameroon host Tunisia on Sunday at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé in a 2014 FIFA World Cup final leg play-off with the scores 0-0 from the first leg.

The Indomitable Lions’ skipper made the allegations on Wednesday during a press conference that he attended together with Coach Volker Finke alongside vice-captains Nicolas Nkoulou and Enoh Eyong.

The Chelsea striker said rumours of a conspiracy against him by some of his teammates are true and alleged that instructions had been issued not to pass the ball to him whenever he is in a good scoring position.

“It is sad to say but it is true. And as the coach is present, I am asking him to make sure it does not happen anymore in our national team. If we were not about to play such a crucial game, I would have asked you to have a look at some of the matches yourselves,” Eto’o said.

And Eto’o went on to explain why he had played so often out of position during the first leg in Radès.

“If I moved back so much towards the midfield against Tunisia, it is before I knew about it already. I had to play like that and I did it, but on Sunday we are talking about Cameroon, about our country. We must put our problems behind us and play for Cameroon,” Eto’o said.

 

Another American insults Nigerians over Obamacare  

 

It seems President Barack Obama haters in the US love picking Nigerians as soft targets in their campaign against Obama’s healthcare programme.
Last month Republican Sen.Ted Cruz compared the glitches plaguing the website for Obama’s signature health care law to the methodologies of “Nigerian email scammers.”
“You may have noticed that all the Nigerian email scammers have become a lot less active lately,” Cruz said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “They all have been hired to run the Obamacare website.”
The comment before party faithful in Texas, drew the diplomatic anger of Nigeria and an apology was exacted from the senator.
Three weeks after, another American has run riot with her pen.
Ann Coulter, a rabid conservative ideologue, in an article posted in Yahoo(see links below), ridiculed Nigerians, curiously also in connection with Obamacare:

Here is an excerpt of what she wrote, the part that really concerns us, as Nigerians:

“Nigeria, for example, leads the world in criminal enterprises. Every level of Nigerian society is criminal, with the smart ones running Internet scams, the mid-range ones running car theft rings, and the stupid ones engaging in piracy and kidnapping. At the University of Lagos, you can major in credit card fraud…
“There were almost no Nigerians in the United States until the 1970s. Today, there are nearly 250,000 Nigerians in the U.S. (committing the cyber-crime Americans just won’t do!). In 2011, we took in more immigrants from Nigeria than from the United Kingdom (9,246 from the U.K. and 9,344 from Nigeria).

http://news.yahoo.com/speak-nigerian-prince-health-care-press-1-now-000008077.html

 

Akwa Ibom Governor, Akpabio, Supervises Beating Of Opposition Lawmaker

The Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly has descended into a serious crisis after the state governor, Godswill Akpabio, personally supervised the beating of a lawmaker he suspected to be politically opposed to him and his loyalists.
Mr. Akpabio, witnesses said, watched as his loyalists manhandled Onofiok Luke, chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriations, who was accused of being rude to the governor after he rose in defense of another lawmaker accused of challenging a loyalist of the governor at a caucus meeting held two days earlier.
The governor, our sources said, beamed with smiles as members of his kitchen cabinet, comprising Nse Ntuen, chairman of Essien Udim local government and Emmanuel Ekon, a member representing Abak/Ika/Etim Ekpo federal constituency in the House of Representatives, assaulted Mr. Luke for being allegedly rude to the governor.
The incident happened November 2 at a funeral service in honour of the mother-in-law of a state lawmaker, Gabriel Tobi, held in Etim Ekpo local government area of the state.
Mr. Akpabio had at the event summoned some lawmakers and tongue-lashed them for doing nothing after Victor Udofia, a lawmaker representing Ikono/Ini state Constituency, allegedly attacked his loyalist, Aniekan Akpan, a member representing  Ukanafun state constituency, at a caucus meeting of the House.
Witnesses say as the governor fumed and abused Mr. Udofia, who was not at the event, an equally furious Mr. Luke rose in defence of his colleague, telling the governor to abandon his divide-and-rule tactics in the interest of the state.
The governor had directed the speaker of the Assembly, Sam Ikon, to immediately activate a  process that would lead to the suspension of Mr. Udofia from the House. But Mr. Luke reportedly shot back, saying Mr. Udofia committed no offence and that any move to punish him would be resisted.
Angered by Mr. Luke’s audacity, Messrs Ekon and Ntuen descended on him, hitting and punching him repeatedly.
Mr. Akpabio simply looked on, our sources said.
The fight, we learnt, only ended after Paul Ekpo, the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, intervened.
The Akwa state House of Assembly is now divided along those from the governor’s minority Annang ethnic group and those from the majority Ibibio ethnic group.
Some lawmakers accuse Mr. Akpabio of financially empowering legislators from his ethnic group and then using them to undermine the speaker and other lawmakers from Ibibioland.
Messrs Ntuen and Ekon, who attacked Mr. Luke, are from Mr. Akpabio’s Annang ethnic group while Mr. Luke is Ibibio.
 After the incident, Mr. Akpabio directed his aides to embark on a tour of media establishments to compromise them and get them to drop stories on the accident.
Concerned that the incident might do further damage to his image, our sources within the administration said, the governor also hurriedly convened a press conference where he allegedly bribed reporters with N50,000 each not to report the incident.
Mr. Akpabio could not be reached to comment for this story.
But his spokesperson, who is also the state Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, confirmed there was a disagreement between Mr. Onofiok and the governor.
Mr. Umanah said while talking to the governor on the day in question, the lawmaker raised his voice against Mr. Akpabio.
“Other members asked him not to shout because he was talking to the governor,” Mr. Umanah said. “Later, everything calmed down.”
The commissioner added via a text message, “I was there in person. Nobody beat up Onofiok talk less of doing so before the governor.”
Mr. Onofiok could not be reached for comments. But a source close to him said he had been under pressure from Governor Akpabio in the last few days to address the media to say he was never beaten by the governor’s loyalists.