‘My mother sold my baby for $1,600′

A woman in Cross River state has been arrested by the police after her daughter reported her for selling her baby or N253,000(about $1,600)
Miss Ndidi Nkwegu, alleged that her mother sold her baby daughter to a child trafficker, who has also been nabbed, in the neighbouring Ebonyi state, after she sold the baby at a bigger price to another ‘baby business tycoon’ based in Abuja.
“When I came back home and asked my mother for the whereabouts of my daughter, she couldn’t tell me anything reasonable.
“I discovered that she had bought so many things which she never had before; actually, my mother was never happy with me when she discovered that I was pregnant, prior to my giving birth to my baby girl.
“I had to call the police; my mother is now in police detention in Cross River State.
“After interrogation, the police discovered that she was the one who sold my baby to a woman who is a child trafficker,” she told newsmen.

The case blew open after the the Ebonyi State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested four persons allegedly engaged in child trafficking.
They were paraded Friday.
Mrs Ego Echendu, the Commandant of NSCDC in Ebonyi, told a news conference at the NSCDC Headquarters in Abakaliki, said that the suspects were arrested on Thursday in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
“Yesterday we were able to arrest some suspects we have been trailing and monitoring for about one month now; they are involved in child trafficking,” he said.

”The Traffic Unit of the Command foiled the suspects’ plot to convey their victims out of the state. However, other suspects are still at large but as soon as the command completes its investigation, the case would be transferred to the agency responsible for such matters,’’ she said.
Echendu said that one of the traffickers was a dealer in the child trafficking business while the other suspect was a buyer.
“We had to strike yesterday following the information that reached us.
“The buyer was about to move to Abuja to sell the baby to another set of people for a higher amount; the information we got was that the baby was bought at the cost of N253, 500.
“We are tiding up our file. As this is not one of our core mandates, we are going to transfer the case to the agency saddled with such responsibility,” she said.
Echendu said that the suspects had confessed to the crime, adding that they also divulged information on some of their accomplices.
“The dealer is Blessing Nwilo, a teacher in Sharon Secondary School, Abakaliki, but she hails from Enugu; the buyer is Ngboro Chikezie from Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
“She claims to be an Area Officer with the Ministry of Education in Ebonyi,” she said.

 

Chief Koko’, OLUMIDE BAKARE, Down With Heart Ailment –Relocates From Lagos

 
Nollywood is having one of its best on the sick bed again. Veteran actor, Olumide Bakare, is said to be down with a heart related illness now and looks weak.

The famous ‘Chief Koko’ of the infamous ‘Koko Close’ TV series of the early 80s, we learnt, was recently admitted into a hospital due to the severity of the ailment.

He has been discharged from the hospital now but the very active actor is not looking anything strong, according to those who see him always.

He was said to have confessed to a Lagos based magazine recently, that “I'm weak; I cannot do anything for now. I've also not been able to work for a while now as a result of this illness, so I'm calling on well-meaning Nigerians for support.”

The actor has since relocated to Ibadan, Oyo State, we gathered

Alaba trader caught with 459g drug

 

An electronic dealer at Alaba International market, Lagos State, Darlington Oleunne, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for attempting to export 450 grammes of methamphetamine to Malaysia.

Oleunne, who was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International, Airport, Ikeja, was said to have ingested the drugs.

NDLEA Lagos Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, who confirmed the arrest, said, “The scanning machine revealed that the suspect ingested drugs during screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight to Malaysia. During observation, Oleunne excreted 450 grammes of substance that tested positive to methamphetamine.”

Oleunne, however, said, “I was assured that I could make a profit of N5m if I invested N900,000. It was a trial business for me because it is my first time. I also did it because of financial predicament.”

Chairman of the NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, called for stiffer punishment for drug traffickers.

He said, “Stiffer punishment would help in reducing cases of drug production and trafficking. We shall prevent drug traffickers from using the country as a transit point for their illicit business. It is sad that a businessman will prefer to invest in criminality when there are countless legitimate businesses.

“I am glad that Oleunne was arrested in Nigeria because of the capital punishment for drug trafficking in Malaysia. His arrest abroad would have added to the number of Nigerian drug convicts in foreign prisons.”

 

Singer, Kefee Shuts Down Branama Kitchen, Leaves Nigeria

 

The economic crisis hitting this part of the world is not a friend of the poor and less known alone. After all, the rich also cry, as they say. “Kokoroko” singer, Kefee, is badly hit. And those who know say it is bad market that visited her Maryland, Lagos based restaurant and hangout, Branama Kitchen, which was opened to business barely one year ago. The food and drink bar which was meant to cater to the culinary needs of people is now permanently under lock.

A weekly magazine reported that when its correspondent visited “Branama Kitchen,” it was observed that weeds have taken over the place and the silence there now is that fit for the graveyard.

Besides, the songstress, whose marriage to her former producer and manager, Alec Godwin, crashed before she married Teddy Efosa, was said to have also traveled out of the country with her husband.
 

Police Uncover Another Baby Factory In Imo! Rescues 16 Pregnant Teenage Girls 

The Police Command again has uncovered another baby-making factory in Egbu, near Owerri the State capital, arresting the proprietor, one Dr. James Ezuma who runs a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), and a clinic. 16 girls were rescued in the process.

The girls were kept in two rooms in the building that houses his NGO, with no windows while repulsive odour oozed out from their rooms
The girls, aged 14-19 were encouraged to get pregnant and take home the sum of N100,000 at delivery, on the condition  that they would abandon their babies who would be eventually used for purposes ranging from child trafficking to rituals.



 The commissioner of Police has warned the general public to endeavour to keep an eye on their girls so that they would not fall prey to such miscreants like Dr. Ezuma, who does not mean well for the society.

One of the girls who spoke amidst tears said, her boyfriend rejected the pregnancy and was directed here by her aunt. She said though she was given N100,000 after delivery, on the promise that they would train her baby, but she never knew her baby would be sold to unknown persons even without her consent.

Also speaking, another victim, 18 year old Blessing A. who came from Lagos, told journalists that she became stranded when she got pregnant, but was directed to the place with the promise that her child would be taken care of.

The suspect while speaking to journalists insisted that he was not into child trafficking, and that the child was given out for adoption on the consent of the mother.

Other items recovered from the suspect include, a gun and 10 exotic cars of different models.


 

I never denied smoking Marijuana – Clinton

In an interview with Fusion TV’s Jorge Ramos on Tuesday, Clinton said he “never denied” smoking marijuana. “I didn’t say I was holier than thou, I said I tried. I never denied that I used marijuana,” Clinton said.

President Obama has been open about the fact that he experimented with both marijuana and cocaine when he was younger. Ramos asked if Clinton were running now if he would answer questions about his drug use differently. Clinton said the original answer he gave during his presidential campaign in 1992 had been twisted by the media.

Clinton famously claimed he didn’t inhale when smoking weed during his Rhodes scholar years. “When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and didn’t like it,” Clinton said. “I didn’t inhale, and I didn’t try it again.”

Looking back now, Clinton says, “I told the truth. I thought it was funny. And the only journalist who was there said I told the truth.”

 

South Africans angry over tolled roads in Jo’burg

South Africa’s government launched a widely unpopular road toll around the economic hub of Johannesburg on Tuesday, a move likely to heighten tensions with its union allies and alienate some voters in the run-up to next year’s elections.
The electronic levies, known as e-tolls, have fuelled public anger and strained relations between President Jacob Zuma’s African National Congress (ANC) and COSATU, the labor federation that has supported the ruling party since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Despite threats of violent protests and a last-minute legal attempt to block the start of the tolls, the new system went live with few immediate problems.
Traffic was light on several motorways around Johannesburg as some commuters attempted to avoid tolls by using back roads, while others made rude gestures as they drove through the tolling gantries, local media said.
The tolls on motorways in and around Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria, will go towards repaying a $2 billion loan used to finance extensive upgrades to Africa’s busiest road network.
The government says those who refuse to pay will face criminal prosecution. Ratings agencies and bond investors are watching the roll-out of the scheme closely since the Treasury will have to foot the bill if it fails.