US Secretary of state arrives Sokoto state


US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has arrived Nigeria and is currently at the Palace of the Sultan of Sokoto to discuss counter-terrorism efforts in Nigeria. He will also be giving a speech on the importance of resilient communities and religious tolerance in battling violent extremism. Kerry will later today visit President Buhari.




IPMAN Plans to Crash Prices of Petrol, Kerosene


The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said it plans to crash the pump prices of petrol and kerosene in the country as soon as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the federal government fulfill their strategies to buoy the naira against the dollar and also deliver cargoes of kerosene into the country.

A faction of IPMAN led by Mr. Chinedu Okoronkwo disclosed recently in Abuja that federal government has placed order to import huge cargoes of kerosene into the country. The association said it has received assurances from the government that its members will receive good quantities of the supply when the cargoes arrive.

The association said this would also come without any of its members paying bribes to anyone or government officials before getting their allocations delivered to them.
IPMAN’s Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman, Alhaji Sharif Abubakar Usman said this when the eastern zonal executive of the association was recently inaugurated in Abuja.

His assertions were further buttressed by IPMAN’s President, Okoronkwo who explained that the CBN’s planned increase of access to foreign exchange (forex) would lead to a fall in the pump prices of petroleum products.

He added that the association will take advantage of that opening to sell at affordable prices to Nigerians at its filling stations across the country.

“Very soon, the products DPK and AGO will be in circulation under the leadership of Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo. Those that are not aware they are aware now. Sooner or later but I cannot say today or tomorrow but very soon AGO will arrive. DPK will arrive this country under the leadership of Okoronkwo.

“These products we got them from the federal government and it is in large quantity. Not small quantity that you will say is five or 10 metric tons. No, it is more than that and it will go round. Everybody will get his own share,” Usman said
He further told its members at the meeting that kerosene which is currently scarce in the country will soon be circulated sufficiently to them.

He noted that upon arrival, no member will be required to lobby or bribe to secure their allocations.

“And when it arrives each and every one of us will get allocations. Sit down where you are. You don’t have to bother yourselves because it is time to fight corruption

“We agree with that and we are in support of the federal government. I say sit where you are that you don’t have to come to Abuja to give bribe looking for allocation of two or three trucks of product. Go to your depots manager, go to your zonal chairman, you will get it, you don’t have to waste time going to Lagos or Abuja for the product,” he added.

Similarly, in his response as to how much the kerosene will sell at their filling stations, Okoronkwo said, “it will be lesser than what the NNPC retail outlets will be selling.”
Asked whether the prices of petroleum products will go up as recently speculated in some quarters, Okoronkwo said CBN’s expected intervention will culminate in the appreciation of the naira against the dollar.

He also stated that upon that, importers and marketers will take advantage of the opening to import products and sell at prices lesser than what it is today.

“Right now, you are aware that some Bureau De-Change have qualified to get the forex. And very soon there will be forex in the system, where people can now leverage.

“And if we have enough forex which means the price at which people are getting it now will drop. And it will now impact in every other business, and I think we should be following the trend. Very soon the CBN will release dollar and that will make the naira to appreciate and crash the dollar.
“For marketers, importers and manufacturers everything will begin to rejuvenate again. IPMAN will also leverage on this window to ensure that our products come at a price that members of this country will enjoy, at a price that will not be what it is right now,” Okoronkwo explained.



Man who named dog Buhari sent to prison


The man who named his dog Buhari, Joachim Iroko, aka Joe, was remanded on Monday at the Ibara Prison following his arraignment at the Ota Magistrate Court 2, Ogun State.

He was charged to court by the police with conduct likely to cause breach of the peace, in a case with suit number MOT/617c/2016.

The prosecutor, Inspector Itaita Ebibomini, said the accused committed the offence on Saturday, August 13, 2016, at the Hausa section of Ketere Market in Sango-Ota in the Ota Magisterial District.

The prosecutor told the court that the offence was punishable under Section 249 (d) of Criminal Law of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2016.

The accused, who was represented by a counsel, U. Michael, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The charge read, “That you, Joachim Iroko, aka Joe, and others still at large, on Saturday, August 13, 2016, at about 5.30pmat the Ketere area, Sango, in the Ota Magisterial District did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace, by writing a name, Buhari, on a dog and parading same in the Hausa section of Ketere Market, Sango, thereby, committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249 (d) of the Criminal Law of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2016.”

His counsel, however, pleaded that the accused should be granted bail. The prosecutor did not oppose the application for bail. The two witnesses in the case were present in court.

The Chief Magistrate, B. J. Ojikutu, admitted Iroko to bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum, adding that the sureties must be regular taxpayers in the state.

“They must attach four passport photographs each to the bail bond, depose to affidavits of being gainfully employed, and reside in the court’s jurisdiction,” he added.

The case was adjourned till September 19, 2016.

Iroko, who had been formerly identified as Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, was arrested on Saturday, August 13, after one of his neighbours, who is of Northern extraction, complained that he named the dog after his father, Alhaji Buhari.

The suspect was first taken to the Sango Police Station, from where he was transferred to the state police command headquarters at Eleweran, Abeokuta.

However, as of press time, his family members had yet to perfect the bail for his release. He was subsequently taken to the Ibara Prison.



Lagos police rescue 28 persons in chains, arrest suspect


About 28 persons found in chains in a house at Oke-Ira, Ojodu area of Lagos State were Friday rescued by the state Police Command.

The victims, which included 13 teenagers, comprised of six male adults, nine female adults, seven female children and six male children.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the command also arrested a suspect, one Emmanuel Adeyemi, alleged to have been responsible for the crime.

Badmos said, “The Command mobilised a team of policemen to a house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu on August 19, at about noon, after it received information that a child was in chain.

“On getting there, a 17-year-old boy, (names withheld) was found in a room with a chain around his legs. The victim was allegedly chained by the suspect who claimed to be his father to restrain him from going out.

“Further search of the premises led to the discovery of 27 others chained by the same suspect.

“The suspect, Adeyemi, is currently undergoing interrogations.”

While stressing that the command was working assiduously to get to the roots of the matter, the PPRO added that the rescued persons have been taken into protective custody.




43-year-old man bathed his married lover with acid


A 43-year-old man identified as Yisau Adeleke is currently cooling his heels in Agodi prisons in Ogun state for bathing his lover, Morufa Ajoke Odesanya, with acid.

Adeleke committed the offence on November 25, 2015, but was arrested nine months after, on August 7.

Speaking with Tribune at the weekend, Adeleke said he bathed his 36-year-old lover, a mother of five with acid after he discovered she was married, contrary to her claim of being a widow.

He said, “I had a wife, Ronke, who had two children for me but I later discovered that she had two children for two men before she married me. She also decided that she had had the number of children that she wanted, asking me to look for another woman if I needed more.

So I started dating Odesanya and she asked me to rent a room for her, which I did.

“She told me she was a widow with two children. She showed me a man who she claimed to be her brother, but I later discovered was her husband.

“She took me to her mother and I took her to my aunt, to introduce her as my wife-to-be.

“We used to have sex regularly to the level that even during her menstrual period; she would beg me to have sex with her, saying she could not keep off me.

”This continued until I came in contact with Magun (a charm in the Yoruba culture that when placed on a woman, any man that sleeps with her order than her husband, must die) in the course of our affair,” Adeleke added.

Speaking further, he said, “It was as if my navel was twisted and I also had a tongue twist. I started feeling dizzy. This made me raise the alarm and an Islamic cleric came to my rescue by making some incantations.”

The 43-year-old man said though he became a bit relieved, the stomach ache continued.

“The next thing Odesanya (his lover) said was that she believed that the Magun was the handiwork of her mother-in-law.

“I asked whether she went to her mother-in-law and for the reason she would want to harm her daughter-in-law’s fiancé since her son was dead. To my surprise, Odesanya called me the same day and asked about my condition. She then added that she had sex with one Baba Bidemi, and it proved that what I experienced was not Magun.

“Baba Bidemi was the man she called her brother. I was confused and this made me decide that I was no longer interested in the relationship if she could deceive me for about two years that we were together. She started begging me.

“So, when I discovered she was married, I ended the affair but we were still meeting because I wanted to collect the money I contributed as a member of a group we formed for the purpose of contributing money that we could collect in bulk.

“She collected hers and when I was to collect mine, she said that had given it to her husband to pay FRSC fine.

“To my surprise, when I saw the husband, he was riding a brand new motorcycle.

“This infuriated because I felt used and I planned and poured her acid,” Adeleke said, blaming the devil for the evil act.

Reports say the accused will be re-arraigned in court on November 9 for trial.