₦airaland Forum

Posted By: Yusuf Alli,



The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained Senator Albert Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East) in connection with a N30billion vote for direct labour projects during the tenure of ex-Governor Godswill Akpabio.

Senator Bassey, who was Commissioner for Finance during the Akpabio administration, had allegedly avoiding the EFCC invitation to explain the matter.

A top source in the EFCC, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have been interrogating Senator Bassey in the last 12 hours on the allegations against him.

“One of the allegations against him is how N303million worth of vehicles were given out as gifts to Bassey by the owner of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited between July 30, 2010 and January 8, 2014.”

A fact-sheet from the EFCC said: “The Senator as Commissioner for Finance was also the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee.

“About N30billion hit the account managed by the committee during the period. The fund came from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and statutory allocations.

“Following allegation of massive wiring of the cash into private accounts, the EFCC decided to invite Sen. Bassey to give account. This agency is looking into allegation of money laundering against Bassey.

“Detectives have uncovered how contracts worth N618million to two companies namely Bay Atlantic Energy Services Limited and Sahel Energy/Power between 2010 and 2014 were awarded. The companies belong to the owner of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited Chief Jide Omokore.

“At about the same period, vehicles worth N303million were given out as gifts to Bassey by the owner of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited especially between July 30, 2010 and January 8, 2014.

“From investigation by detectives, there is a correlation between the transactions and the gifts. The Akwa Ibom State Government has refused to make relevant documents available to the EFCC.”

lalasticlala

John Alechenu and John Charles



Vice - President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday night said he would rather vacate his office as the nation ’ s Number Two man than compromise his Christian faith .

Osinbajo stated this while responding to posers raised by some Christian leaders at the stakeholders ’ meeting held at the new Banquet Hall of the Benue State Government House , Makurdi .

He said under no circumstances would he give up his faith but would rather vacate his position as the nation ’ s Vice- President at the slightest attempt to cause him to abandon his Christian virtues .

One of the speakers , the Catholic Bishop of Gboko, His Lordship , Williams Avenya , had reminded Osinbajo of the then- presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress , Muhammadu Buhari ’ s campaign promises that he would not Islamise the country and would protect the interest of all Nigerians including citizens of minority ethnic groups if voted into power.

Quoting Buhari , the bishop said , “My deputy is a Christian and there is no way I will Islamise Nigeria with many Christians in my team . ”

Avenya noted that the killing of Christians and members of the minority ethnic group particularly in Benue State had proved that the Federal Government under Buhari was not living up to these promises.

Facing Osinbajo , the bishop said , “ The point I’ m trying to make is that a day is going to come when you , as the Vice -President , will bear the brunt of that problem of injustices in our land , especially those perpetrated on smaller ethnic groups that have no one to fight for them .

“ So , as a Christian person , exonerate yourself from this situation, ” the bishop advised the VP .

Responding, the vice- president said , “My Lord Bishop , you said you are not a politician , I am also not a politician . As a matter of fact , I’ m also a priest and I ’ m a Christian , a born again Christian . Because I’ m a born again Christian , my destiny is not determined by any man but by God who I serve .

“Let me assure you that under no circumstances , none whatsoever, will I give up my faith or refuse to stand up for my faith .

“ You can take that to the bank . Even the position that I currently occupy, I did not ask for it and I’ m prepared to leave it at a short notice .

“ It doesn ’ t mean anything . I became a born again Christian after I became a professor , a professor of the law of evidence, a professor of proof .

“ But when the Lord Jesus Christ met me , He persuaded me by showing me clearly that there is such a thing as the evidence of things that are not seen.

“ It is because of the evidence of things that are not seen, it is because you can make something out of nothing that I stand here today as Vice -President .

“ How possible can anyone say that the killing of women and children doesn ’ t matter because he is Vice - President or because he is President ? How is that possible ? Certainly , it cannot be for a person who is born again. A renewed mind will know that there is justice , there is consequence even if there is no justice here on earth . ”

The Vice - President , while reacting to the issue raised by another speaker , Dr . Magdalene Dura , that the invasion of the state was an ethnic agenda , said no one would deliberately kill his own people .

“ I do not accept and I do not believe that there is an agenda . No one will deliberately kill his own people . No one will do so . But we cannot bring back the dead but we can make life more bearable for the living.

“ This is why coming here today at the behest of the President is first , to look at the situation myself , to get a first -hand view of the situation because the President has mandated me to take this on board and deal with the issues , ” Osinbajo added .

In his remark , Governor Samuel Ortom appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that peace reign in his state.
The governor said that the killing of the two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners could have caused a religious crisis but for the prompt action of his administration .

He appreciated the Federal Government for deploying more troops to the state as well as releasing funds for control of flood in the state .


Desperation casts a shadow on your Christianity , PDP tells VP

Meanwhile , the Peoples Democratic Party has described Osinbajo ’ s visit to Benue State as an act of desperation and an attempt to “swindle votes ” ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The party , which said this in a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary , Mr. Emmanuel Agbo, in Abuja , on Wednesday , noted that Osinbajo ’ s alleged desperation to be Buhari ’ s running mate in 2019 “ casts doubt publicly on his professed Christian faith . ”

According to the party , the Vice - President ’ s visit to Abagana , Gbajimba and Anyii Internally Displaced Persons ’ camps was political .

Agbo described it as “a political attempt at window dressing the already damaged image of President Muhammadu Buhari ’ s administration and an insult to the grieving people of Benue State. ”

The PDP statement partly read , “ Osinbajo did not visit the people of Benue when two priests and 17 parishioners were killed , neither does he agree that the herdsmen who killed 73 Christians in the state are terrorists .

“It is pathetic that while Osinbajo speaks loudly against former President Goodluck Jonathan and the opposition, he remained voiceless until our people were made refugees in their own land .

“ Since the news of the cabal ’ s plan to pick a new running mate for Buhari ahead of the 2019 presidential election became public knowledge , Osinbajo has since shown a level of desperation that casts doubt publicly on his professed Christian faith . ”

The statement added , “ Osinbajo ’ s promise during his visit to the IDP camps in the state that President Buhari has approved a total of N10 bn for the rehabilitation of communities affected by violent attacks in parts of the country, further shows that the Federal Government is totally disconnected from the people .

“ This shameless act affirms that Buhari ’ s administration fail to realise that money cannot replace or buy back the lives lost to the reckless slaughter of innocent citizens by Fulani extremists .

“ By this dishonest act , the Buhari administration has only added insult to the injury of Benue people . The Buhari - led Federal Government who promised N 50bn for states who donate land for Fulani herdsmen in the name of colony unfortunately has only N 10bn for all those internally displaced farmers that cut across more than 13 states in the country. ”

The party which described the N 10bn as “blood money ” said the VP and the President should “eat ” the money , arguing that the life of one Benue citizen was worth more than the money .

“Let it be on record that the people of Benue will not be deceived by those who impoverished our people and watched us bury our sons and daughters while they gave nothing but excuses , ” the statement added .

By Babatope Okeowo, Akure 


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Men of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested a 25 years old man, Saliu Oladapo for allegedly stabbing his presumed 19 years old girlfriend; Chinyere Ebere to death.

Ebere who has just finished her West African Secondary School Leaving Certificate was allegedly stabbed to death over an alleged refusal to date Oladapo; her presumed boyfriend.

The incident according to sources happened at No 3 Obasuyi Street, Ijoka in Akure, the state capital.

Police sources disclosed that the deceased and the man presumed to be her boyfriend was in the house when an argument began among them as a result of which the man took a knife and allegedly stabbed the girl on her chest and other parts of her body
She was said to have fell and bled to death.

Neighbours, who got wind of the incident alerted the police, who quickly arrived at the scene of the crime. The girl was said to have died before the arrival of the policemen from the Oke Aro Division.

Speaking with reporters yesterday, the mother of the deceased Mrs Lovely Nwama said she was in her shop when a neighbour called her that her daughter who just finished her secondary school was allegedly stabbed by a young man.

Her words “My daughter just came back from where she went to write her WAEC yesterday. I observed some changes in her which led me to beat her before the unfortunate incident occurred.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Femi Joseph who confirmed the incident explained that the suspect was asking the girl to date him which she refused, and was said to have publicly embarrassed the suspect.

This according to him, the 25 years old man was infuriated by the refusal and allegedly took a knife and stabbed the girl to death.

The suspect, who has been arrested by Police at B Division would be charged to court for murder soon after the police investigation.

BY JOHN OGUNSEMORE


A man in Bangkok, Thailand is being treated for wounds to his penis after he inflicted severe wounds on himself while watching hardcore porn.

Whisanu Srisanao, 30, was watching the porn on a smartphone in his apartment in the Khet Nong Chok district of Bangkok when he got “too excited”.

The sadomasochist then grabbed a knife and started hacking away at his penis until there was blood all over the apartment.

Although he tried to stop the blood flow, he called paramedics after discovering that he could not.

The paramedic who treated Srisanao said, “The man was unwilling to co-operate fully.

“‘I was watching porn, I was watching porn.’

“He blamed the videos for making him get too excited. He would not say anything more or tell us more details.

“We provided medical assistance and transferred him to hospital.”

He is currently being treated at a local hospital – Hospital Navamin 9.

Tragedy befall a family in Bauchi on Saturday as the breadwinner of the house, Mr Salihu Yahaya, a businessman, lost his life trying to save his wife from being electrocuted.

Mr Sani Ahmed, who described himself as ‘one of the boys’ of the deceased, said the tragedy occurred around 6.40 pm.

“One of the wives of the deceased, Halima, was trying to spread a wet material on a wire in the house meant for drying of clothes, but unknown to her, the wire had contact with wall security barb wire connected to electricity.

“She was instantly shocked and raised alarm, after which the deceased rushed to her rescue by trying to use his bare hand to pull off the wire in contact with her.

“Unfortunately, as at the time he responded to her alarm, he was performing ablution for his evening prayers and his hands were wet.

“He was able to rescue the wife but was also shocked by the electricity current in the wire, as a result of which he was thrown to the ground and died while being rushed to the hospital,” he said.

Ahmed said he and others also took the wife to the hospital for medical attention, saying that she was now at home in stable condition.

When newsmen visited the resident of the deceased along NYSC Street in Fadaman Mada area of Bauchi metropolis, they could not secure an interview with the affected wife as she was in a mourning mood and receiving sympathizers.

Late Yahaya left behind two wives and six children. NAN

Two police officers have been caught on camera extorting motorists along Ijebu Ode-Ibadan Road in Ogun State.

One of the police officers, whose badge identified him as Oyewole Afolabi, was caught by PREMIUM TIMES collecting N50 from a bus driver who was conveying passengers to Ibadan from Ajah, Lagos State, on Sunday.

The second officer, Eniola Olaiya, was captured on camera by PREMIUM TIMES as the same driver crossed the Oyo State border with Ogun State into Ibadan.

Police officers have continued the culture of extortion at checkpoints despite decades of condemnation by the Nigerian public and foreign think-tanks. Mounting roadblocks is one of the easiest ways for officers to shakedown motorists.

Oftentimes, they compromise their official duty by taking arbitrary ‘fines’ from motorists whose vehicle licence or insurance papers are outdated or missing. Where all vehicle and driving credentials are intact, officers found other ways of harassing road users to squeeze out as much as they could within the pace of a few seconds.

The bus driver who was extorted in this particular instance told PREMIUM TIMES if he had refused to cooperate with the officers, he could be ‘unnecessarily’ delayed for several hours.

“If we don’t give them, they will delay us unnecessarily,” the driver said under anonymity to avoid a backlash from officers because he plies the route regularly. “In fact, we add police extortion fee to passengers transport fare. I can’t run from them because I follow this road everyday.”

On Saturday evening, PREMIUM TIMES forwarded multimedia evidence of the officers’ conduct to Abayomi Shogunle, head of police complaints unit in Abuja. Mr Shogunle, an assistant police commissioner, promised to examine images and get back later on.

In recent decades, especially in the advent of Internet, hundreds of officers have been caught on camera soliciting bribes at roadblocks and the action posted online.

Although most of the officers often escaped severe disciplinary measures, some of them have not been so lucky in recent years. In 2013, a sergeant was dismissed after a viral video showed him soliciting bribes from motorists in Lagos.

In June 2017, four officers were dismissed for extorting a citizen in Ijebu Ode Area Command, the same jurisdiction where Mr Afolabi was caught on camera by PREMIUM TIMES.

Last December, the police in Ekiti sacked an officer for allegedly killing a motorist who reportedly refused to comply with bribe demands at a checkpoint. Ayo Famodimu faced an orderly room trial before and subsequently placed on trial for the murder.

As part of measures to curb the bribery menace amongst officers, successive Inspectors-General over the past decade have proscribed mounting of roadblocks, but the orders are usually abandoned within a few weeks.

Some unofficial accounts said officers are poorly remunerated and bribe earnings often go towards maintaining their stations and equipment. It is common to see a police vehicle that broke down due to a lack of fuel or poor maintenance.

Okechukwu Nwaguma of the Network for Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) acknowledged the challenges confronting the police rank and file, but said the brazen extortion of motorists will never be justifiable.

“The argument has always been made by low-level officers that there is no adequate provision for their operation or welfare,” Mr Nwanguma said. “It is even worse for them when senior officers send them out to extort motorists then deny involvement if they get caught.”

“Still, nothing justifies this humiliating conduct by officers and we hope it would stop soon,” Mr Nwanguma said. “It it would stop, the government would not only improve on the welfare and operation equipment for the police, there must also be a stringent training measures that would help officers live up to the highest ethical standards found amongst their counterparts across the world.”

lalasticlala

According to him, the lady in question blocked her boyfriend on social media before sharing the cheating photos, but forgot to block him


A Nigerian man @Papi_Kash whose friend got heartbroken after his girlfriend of 6 years cheated on him with some other guy, took to Twitter to make a case on why women are scum following the cheating photos she shared.


According to him, the lady in question blocked her boyfriend on social media before sharing the cheating photos, but forgot to block him. His tweets reads;


Women are scum! There’s nothing anybody can tell me. my friend has been dating this girl since 2012 and this morning she posted pictures on her status and blocked him from viewing it but she forgot to block me. He’s heartbroken.
Matching outfits inside bathroom for that matter women are evil!


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A son of a former governor of Oyo State , who is a member of the House of Representatives , Dapo Lam-Adesina , tells OLUFEMI ATOYEBI how thugs beat him up during the recent All Progressives Congress ward congress in Ibadan.


Can you tell us your experience in the violence that broke out during the ward congresses of the All Progressives Congress last (penultimate ) Saturday in Ibadan ?
I don’ t think it is possible for anyone , who does not purchase a form for the West Africa School Certificate Examinations or any other examination to sit for it or expect a result. There are two factions in the Oyo State APC today . The Congress Committee came from Abuja and had a stakeholders ’ meeting .

At the venue , members of the Unity Forum faction of the party , to which I belong, were attacked by thugs . We have been clamouring for internal democracy , justice and fairness in the party for quite some time now . It was obvious that only our members paid for the forms before the deadline on Friday.

The committee made it clear that only those with evidence of payment would be provided with forms. On Saturday , we were the only ones that collected the forms because we showed our evidence of payment . What this meant was that all the candidates would be returned unopposed .

The committee in charge of the congress announced that because of the violence that marred the stakeholders ’ meeting on Saturday , the congresses would be held on Sunday and we all agreed to the arrangement.

However , members of a group loyal to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who did not buy the forms, held kangaroo congresses on Saturday against the committee’ s guidelines .

The Unity Forum followed the committee guidelines and we held our congresses on Sunday . The APC should be careful in handling issues like this in order not to tarnish the image of President Muhammadu Buhari and what he stands for .


Are you saying the SENACO group members are with the governor ?

I don’ t know what they are called and, in fact , it is wrong to regard SENACO members as Ajimobi’ s loyalists because top leaders of SENACO are with the Unity Forum. Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi from Ilero ; Dr . Busari Adebisi, Alhaji Ajibade and others are with us .

In the Unity Forum, we have members from the LAMIST group , Adebayo Shittu group and members from all other smaller groups . Our common agenda is to stop the reign of impunity under the Ajimobi administration .

We cannot continue with his one - man -show system. The party has been destabilised and members are afraid of the forthcoming elections. The way out is to stop the era of impunity .


You recently cried out that your life was being threatened. What informed this ?

Our group was punctual at the stakeholders ’ meeting on Saturday but while we were waiting for the event to start , there were sporadic gunshots and broken bottles thrown into the hall . We had to run for dear lives . It was God that delivered us from the hands of the attackers . We were also helped out of the venue by our official security agents .

An Ibadan chief led the thugs to the venue . We ran to the state Police Command in Eleiyele for safety but we were told that the Commissioner of Police , Abiodun Odude , was not around .

We stayed there because there was nowhere to run to . Even when we were called back and were assured that adequate security had been provided , we were skeptical. Nevertheless, we had to be there to fulfil all righteousness for the sake of the congress.

While we were going in , members of our group were attacked by thugs even when the governor was seated. They removed my cap and used it to hit my head in the full glare of everybody.

The security aides of the governor and members of the Directorate of State Service , who manned the gate, did not allow us to enter even though it was the governor that called us back to the venue . They watched as we were beaten up by the thugs .

We forced our way in but immediately after the meeting , the thugs entered the hall and began to harass me again . I moved to the front of the governor so that he would see what was happening but he pushed me away with his two hands .

The security men in the hall did not provide any security ; so , I cried out that everyone should see what the governor was doing to me .

That was when he realised that someone might be recording what was happening . I told the governor that I would not allow him to leave me behind so that the thugs would kill me . I said I would go out of the venue with him . I entered one of his cars by force.
Even then , the thugs were throwing stones and sticks at me . I alighted somewhere and found my way back home .


Were you or members of your group specifically targeted ?

After that scenario , people started calling me and threatened that they would kill me . They also threatened other members of the group and that they would eliminate us or implicate us . They asked if we had forgotten that we were fighting a governor. That was why I had to cry out.

I have written a letter titled ‘ Save my soul’ to the Inspector -General of Police , stating clearly that the governor and his wife want to assassinate me .


Did you approach some of the party leaders to complain about your position ?

I met the chairman of the party in the state, Akin Oke , who I respect so much.

On Sunday , the congress committee met stakeholders and journalists to deliver its report but it was as if there was nothing to report going by the committee chairman ’ s address .


If tomorrow , the governor calls you and mends fences with you , how would you react ?

He is my father and I cannot fight him forever . I have done a lot for him but he has to change his ways. I have discussed life after his tenure with him as a leader. With the way he is going, he cannot be a leader.

Imagine what is happening with the council poll. His people wrote a list and excluded names of loyalists of other stakeholders .

We know how Asiwaju Bola Tinubu runs Lagos as a leader. He will call all groups and tell them to bring their lists . It is not done like that in Oyo State .


Have you reached out to Tinubu on this issue?

A few days ago , I called him and he is not happy with the way things are in Oyo State. He does not believe in injustice . With time , he will wade in . The Unity Forum is in the majority in Oyo APC . That is why it was only the group that held congresses . The President and national headquarters of the party will have to wade in . We will not compromise our position .

lalasticlala

John Alechenu , Olusola Fabiyi and Eniola Akinkuotu



As part of the moves to oust President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress in 2019 , the major opposition parties and third force elements are expected to hold joint and separate talks in the coming days with a view to forging an alliance and supporting one presidential candidate .

Some of the parties that will participate in the discussions include the Peoples Democratic Party , the Olusegun Obasanjo -backed African Democratic Congress , and the Chief Olu Falae- led Social Democratic Party among others.

Already , the Nigerian Intervention Movement , co -chaired by Dr . Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Dr . Abdujalil Tafawa - Balewa, is presently holding alliance talks with the Coalition for New Nigeria , a coalition of 35 political parties .

The NIM said in a statement that it was holding separate and joint meetings with the Labour Party , United Progressive Party , Action Democratic Party , Action Alliance and several others.

It stated , “ The NIM Coalition team has just ended a marathon coalition talks separately and jointly in Abuja at various locations with the Labour Party , United Progressive Party , Alliance for New Nigeria , Action Democratic Party , and Action Alliance in a process of setting up a national grand electoral alliance for 2019 .

“ All the parties have , by and large, agreed to the NIM ’ s terms and therefore asked to go and reaffirm the endorsement of their leadership organs and structures to avoid future problems .

“ The MOU with the prospective coalition party and other parties in the electoral alliance will be signed next week after due consultations with their various leadership organs and the steering committee meeting of NIM must have given its nod and endorsement. ”

It was learnt that the SDP was expected to hold talks with the NIM next week as well .
The Obasanjo- led Coalition for Nigeria Movement had adopted the ADC as its party .

The National Coordinator of the Obasanjo coalition, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola , had told a gathering on Thursday that there was still room for the ADC to forge alliance with other interested parties to oust Buhari in the next general elections.

Speaking with our correspondent on Saturday , a source close to Obasanjo said the move had spurred others into action, not wanting to be left out.

The source added , “ We have just nine months to the elections and the other groups , especially the NIM , were being slow about it . So , Obasanjo felt time was running out. With what he has done, others have woken up and the alliance talks are beginning to move quicker.

“ In the coming days , you will see defections and re -alignments as the main opposition begins to take shape . ”

When asked why the parties were forging alliances instead of a merger like the APC did in 2013 , the source explained that the time was too short , adding that it might not be able to contain the aftermath before the general elections.

The source added , “The Electoral Act states that no new political party will be registered six months to the general elections. That means August is the deadline . With the way politics is today , coupled with the fact that INEC serves an APC - led government , we may not be able to meet up .

“ Also , the time is too short for all the political parties to agree . Who will step down for who ? How will we conduct congresses in time ? So , the alliance is the best bet. ”

The source said talks were ongoing with the PDP as the former ruling party begins to consider the possibility of changing its name .

He stated that the PDP was also interested in the alliance .

The Chairman of the Coalition for New Nigeria , Dr . Yunusa Tanko, who is also a former National Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council , confirmed to one of our correspondents that over 35 parties were holding talks in order to form an alliance .

He said the PDP had also approached the other parties for a possible alliance .

“ The CNN is a coalition or a group of several political parties but we only form alliances, not mergers. There are alignments and re -alignments happening in some of the parties within our group .

One of our members , which is the ADC, was recently adopted by Obasanjo , ” Tanko added .

When asked if all the parties would be working together to oust Buhari in 2019 , he said , “ You cannot rule out anything . As it is now , there are re -alignments of forces and we will see where things we go . The ADC is only one of our members . ”

He said the SDP was not part of the coalition , noting , however, that there was room for the party to join.

When asked about the PDP, he said , “ The PDP is not yet a member of the CNN but they (party officials ) are making overtures towards us and trying to align with our political parties.

Some of our members got calls from the PDP and said the PDP told them that they would not be able to work alone and they need to align with other existing political parties. So , the alignments are still taking shape . ”


PDP opens discussion with other opposition parties

When contacted on Saturday , the PDP said it had opened discussions with other political parties on how to get Buhari out office in 2019.

Already , it said its committee, saddled with the responsibility of holding discussions with the affected political parties, had swung into action.

The committee, which is known as Contact Committee , and headed by a former Governor of Cross River State , Senator Liyel Imoke, was inaugurated by the party ’ s National Chairman , Prince Uche Secondus , about two weeks ago.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party , Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan , told one of our correspondents in Abuja on Saturday that the committee was already working on its mandate .

He said , “The committee, which is headed by Senator Imoke, is already discussing with all opposition political parties .

“ The task of removing the incompetent Buhari Presidency is not our plan aloe; it is that of the entire oppressed Nigerians, even within the ruling party , the All Progressives Congress .

“ We will meet with all the political parties that are genuinely committed to true change in the country.

“ We expect our committee to brief us soon on its findings and discussions with both the opposition parties and individuals. ”

It was , however, unclear if the committee would brief the Secondus - led National Working Committee this week or not .

SUNDAY PUNCH, however, learnt that Imoke and his team met with leaders of some political parties last week .

Also , the National Publicity Secretary of the SDP , Mr. Alfa Mohammed , confirmed to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Saturday that alliance talks were ongoing.

Mohammed said the primary objective of all opposition parties remained removing Buhari from the Presidency in 2019 .

When asked if the PDP would be part of the alliance , Mohammed said many prominent members of the PDP, like a former Deputy Governor of Osun State , Iyiola Omisore ; a former Minister of Information , Prof. Jerry Gana ; and many others were already in the SDP .

He added , “ In 2015 , the SDP adopted the PDP candidate as its own presidential candidate ; so , we already have a working relationship. It will not be hard for us to work together in 2019 . They may even support our own presidential candidate as a way of returning the favour . ”

Attempts to speak with the Chairman of the ADC , Okey Nwosu , proved abortive as his telephone line indicated that it was busy for two consecutive days .

He had, however , said , while welcoming the Obasanjo group , that the ADC was open to talks in order to forge alliances ahead of 2019.


We are not scared of opposition — APC

Meanwhile , the APC says it has no cause to fret over the coming together of opposition political parties , stating that most Nigerians now appreciate its pioneering efforts in setting the nation on the right path.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC , Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi , said this in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, on Saturday .

Abdullahi stated , “ Like I have said over time , we are practising a multi - party democracy and in this kind of system , it is the more , the merrier .

“ As for parties coming together, they are welcome. We have no reason to feel threatened because we are confident that Nigerians appreciate the credible leadership the President Muhammadu Buhari - led APC administration has provided . ”

Got engaged to my man when I told him I was carrying his two weeks old baby and we were both so happy.

Few months back, I went for an event and my boyfriend travelled to see his sick mum. One politician was on my neck but I did not look at him twice. This man chased me but I just ignored him. I heard he is very rich.

I went to my man’s office for the first time last week; because of security protocol I hate to go there.

Getting to his office, I was at the reception when my man came to pick me. As we entered the elevator, he warned me not to agree we were dating, that I should say we are business partners because I am into interior designs.

Before I could ask a question, we were out of the elevator and he took me to his boss who happened to be that same man I rejected.

My boyfriend is his P.A. I sat down and my boyfriend introduced me as a business partner. That was when the man told me that he saw me from the camera downstairs and asked his P.A to bring me.

He continued ‘toasting’ me, and my boyfriend just sat there like a fool watching. The politician gave me his card and some cash N300,000 and said he will invite me out for dinner.

I went home, waiting patiently for an explanation, until he got back and apologised. But he told me to date his boss.
I was shocked. I reminded him that I was carrying his baby and he said he does not care. In his words, “we now know the baby is mine, so the sperm can not mix.

Baby do this thing for us to have a better life, this man likes you and is ready to spend on you.” I was shocked to my bones. A married man, and my own boyfriend is asking me to sleep with him? He succeeded in confusing me and I agreed, but I don’t want to do it.

But if I must, should I abort this baby and break up with him, or abort this baby and continue with the politician?

But I will never sleep with another man with pregnancy. I can’t be a single mum and I can’t loose at both ends. My boyfriend wants to use me, he does not love me but I want to play a fast one on him too.

lalasticlala

Leke Baiyewu and Ade Adesomoju


There are strong indications of a looming showdown at the Senate on Tuesday as the lawmaker representing the Delta Central Senatorial District , Senator Ovie Omo -Agege , says he will attend the plenary .

The senator stated this in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, while reacting to the nullification of his suspension by the Federal High Court , Abuja .

But it was learnt that the Senate had yet to inform security men to allow the Delta Central senator access to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

Saturday PUNCH had exclusively reported on April 21 that the Senate had ordered security agents to prevent Omo - Agege from entering its chamber.

But the senator said his planned resumption was not based on court nullifying his suspension , because he never believed that a legislature could suspend a member.

Asked if he would resume legislative duties on Tuesday , Omo - Agege said , “ Absolutely . I have already told you that I reserve the right to come to sitting anytime. I am coming not because of this judgment but because I have always maintained that they have no right to suspend .

“ I did not just take that position . I took that position based on the extant laws which have been pronounced upon by various courts , including the Court of Appeal in Jos concerning the Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly. That is a pronouncement that can be extended to everyone. I did not even need to go to court to seek a re- validation.

“ Be that as it may , I reserve the right to show up anytime to attend plenary , to represent my people , and that right of representation cannot be tampered with by anyone irrespective of the provision. ”

Omo - Agege pointed out that only his constituents have the power to remove him from the senatorial seat he is currently occupying .

He said , “ I am grateful to God and I give God all the glory . I must tell you that this verdict did not come to me as a surprise because I have always known the law.

The law is very clear that no legislature has the powers to suspend anybody (member) for one day . That is the position I have always taken . It was on the basis of that understanding that I went to plenary on the 18th of April.

“ From day one, I considered this suspension , unlawful and unconstitutional . What the court has just done is to re -validate that position. Only my constituents – the Urhobo people – have the right to determine whether or not I can be in the Senate ; no one else , no matter how highly placed. ”

It was , however , gathered the lawmaker might not be allowed to gain access to the Senate .

A source in the Senate , who confided in Saturday PUNCH , stated , “ We have yet to inform the security agents and he will not be allowed to enter the senate until the judgment is discussed at the plenary . ”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs , Senator Aliyu Sabi - Abdullahi , had on Thursday told one of our correspondents that the lawmakers had yet to be formally informed about the judgment .


We ’ ll deliberate on Omo - Agege ’ s case on Tuesday – Senate

But when contacted on Friday, Sabi - Abdullahi , said the lawmakers would discuss Omo - Agege ’ s matter at the plenary on Tuesday . He said he could not confirm if the senator could resume or not.

Sabi - Abdullahi said , “There is an appeal against the judgment , according to media reports . But I cannot be speaking for the Senate and reply on what was reported , I must get the facts from the relevant people within the institution . Now, I am not in Abuja .

I ’ ve been asked and I said no, until we resume . When we resume on Tuesday , whatever facts are there , we are going to get the facts and we will be able to know what is happening . ”

It was learnt that the Senate had filed for a stay of execution of the judgment and that it had no plan to recall Omo - Agege.


Senate files stay of judgment execution

Counsel for the Senate and its President , Mr. Mahmud Magaji (SAN) , told one of our correspondents on Friday that he had filed along with his notice of appeal, an application for stay of execution of the judgment reinstating Senator Omo - Agege .

“ We filed an application for stay of execution of the judgment alongside our notice of appeal, ” Magaji said .

An aide to the Senate President , Bankole Omisore , had on Thursday indicated that the Senate would appeal the judgment.

Omo - Agege had, one week after his suspension , attended Senate plenary . The lawmaker ’ s attendance had occurred same time when suspected thugs invaded the Senate chamber while plenary was ongoing and made away with the mace.

Vice - Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs , Senator Ben Murray- Bruce, had disclosed that the sergeants - at - arms and security personnel had been ordered to block Omo - Agege whenever he tries to enter the chamber.

The Senate had on April 12 , 2018 , suspended Omo - Agege for 90 legislative days for dragging the chamber to court over the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 which seeks to reshuffle the sequence of polls during a general election.

However , the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday nullified the 90- day suspension imposed by the Senate on Omo - Agege . Justice Nnamdi Dimgba , in the judgment , said the order nullifying the suspension was “ with immediate effect . ”

A 31-year-old man, Kehinde Oludayo, on Friday told an Idi-Ogungun Customary Court, Agodi, Ibadan, that his wife, Jumoke, 26, was sexually battered while seeking for love charms from spiritualists.

Mr Oludayo made this known when he testified in the petition brought by his wife seeking dissolution of their seven year marriage for alleged brutality and lack of care.

He told the court that his wife fell into the hands of fraudsters while seeking for love charms from Alfas but was sexually battered.

The father of two accused his wife of infidelity and lack of respect for him as her husband.

He told the court that his wife never obeyed his instruction, saying her curiosity for miracles led her to fall into the hands of some fraudsters that assaulted her sexually.

”My lord, she didn’t recognise me as her husband because she lives a carefree life.

”In her search for love charms from some fraudsters that pretended to be ‘Alfas’ made her to fall prey and she was gang raped.

”Though she opened up to me and pleaded for forgiveness but her attitude didn’t change after the shameful experience.” he said

The respondent denied the allegation of brutality and that he tried his best in performing his responsibility as a husband and father of the two kids of the union.

He alleged that her mother-in-law pushed his wife to divorce him, saying his in-laws hate him.

He, however, pleaded with the court to resolve the issue instead of dissolving the marriage, saying he still loves his wife despite what she did.

Earlier, Jumoke, had told the court that her husband turned her into a punching bag and always threatened her life.

She described her seven-year-old union with the respondent as a calamity, saying she was tired of constant beatings.

She further said that Oludayo never care for the upkeep of the kids nor treat her with love.

She, however, was silent on the allegation of been sexually assaulted, and gang raped, but insisted that the court should dissolve the marriage.

Jumoke threatened to kill herself if the court fail to grant her request.

The President of the court, Mukaila Balogun, said that evidence of both parties especially that of the petitioner, had proved that there was no more love between them.

Mr Balogun noted that the rampant cases of domestic violence which had led to “wife killing husband and husband killing wife was enough to uphold the request of the petitioner.

“Though, the court prioritise resolution of marriage disputes but is handicapped in some instances.

“The marriage is therefore dissolved and custody of the two kids is given to the petitioner.

“The respondent is ordered to pay N7,000 monthly for the upkeep of the children and should be responsible for the education of the children.”
(NAN)

The five - year marriage between a 35 - year - old trader , Bilikisu Azeez and her husband, Olusesi, was on Friday dissolved by an Igando Customary Court in Lagos on the grounds of sex - starvation .

Bilikisu had told the court that her husband, Olusesi, starved her of sex for more than two years, a development which , she said , had affected her health.

“ My husband has been starving me of sex since he married his youngest wife ; he has turned me to an abandoned property.

“I have been falling sick in and out of the hospital , during my last visit to the hospital , I was told that it was because I have not had sex for long that is why I experience frequent sickness . ”

She also accused her husband of not caring for her and the only child of the marriage , saying “my husband does not take care of me , I feed and clothe myself .

“ He refused to enroll our only child , who is over four years old in school and has failed to pay his medical bills ; I always run to my mother for the hospital bill . ”

Bilikisu , who also accused her husband of battery , said he had beaten her publicly which resulted in her fainting.

According to her , the trouble started when her husband brought in a third wife .

She continued : “ There was joy , love, and peace in the house until he came with another wife , who has been fighting me also. ”

She urged the court to dissolve the union so that she can move on with her life .

Olusesi , in his response to the allegations, accepted that he starved the woman of sex.
“She once denied me of sex and since then I abandoned her .

“ Yes , I starved her of sex, it is tit for that because there was a day I entered her room to sleep with her and she left the bed to sleep on the floor .

“ I made an attempt eight times to sleep with her , but she refused . So since that day, I just put her aside after all she is not the only wife I have , ” he told the court.

The 45 - year - old building contractor also consented to the dissolution of the marriage , saying he too was no longer interested in the marriage .

The court president , Mr. Akin Akinniyi , while delivering the judgment said that it appeared that the estranged couple was tired of the marriage as all efforts to reconcile them had failed .

“ Since both parties consented to the dissolution of their marriage , this court has no choice than to dissolve the marriage .

“ The court hereby pronounces the marriage between Mrs . Bilikisu Azeez and Mr. Olusesi Azeez dissolved today .

“ Both of you henceforth cease to be husband and wife , each of you should go on his or her separate ways unmolested .

“ The court wishes both of you well in your future endeavour . Any squabble between both of you from now on shall be treated as criminal .

“ Any violation of this judgment will be regarded as contempt of court and will attract imprisonment without an option of fine , ” Akinniyi ruled .
(NAN )

Abimbola Adelakun (aadelakun @punchng.com)


President Muhammadu Buhari is once again on medical tourism to the United Kingdom . According to media reports , the number of days Buhari has been absent from his duty post for medical reasons has now surpassed the record of the late President Umaru Yar ’ Adua . Buhari has been in office for three years, but he has been on medical tourism for up to six months .

From the time he stepped out in June 2016 to ostensibly treat an ear infection in Germany, Buhari has gradually abandoned pretences that he is a healthy man who is only dealing with minor human frailties . Now, we know the man is unwell.

The tense question everybody seems to be avoiding – and understandably so too due to cultural reasons – is, what if he dies?

I know Buhari apologists reading this are already listing their rehearsed line of defences: life belongs to God ; nobody can say whose turn it is; death is an inevitable biological reality ; age , sickness , and death are not necessarily coterminous; it is immoral and irreverent to talk about the death of someone still living ; Buhari was hospitalised for a prolonged time last year , and he recovered, etc.

Some of his most zealous followers even add that nobody in this world is more qualified to be the President of Nigeria till 2023 than he is.

They urge us to overlook his health issues and focus on whatever they think his administration has managed to achieve.

While I do not personally wish anyone dead (partly because it is pointless ), we should not avoid a deliberation of what is at stake if anything happens to Buhari .

We cannot ignore the fact that Buhari has one of the most fanatical sets of followers in the world .

They are so enamoured of the Buhari mystique they take him to be a god . Like all gods , they do not think he can succumb to the vagaries of the flesh . They think the man is superhuman and their minds are the shrine where he is worshipped in a manner befitting a deity .

Remember there was a time they invented stories of how his body language was healing all of Nigeria ’ s maladies , ranging from corruption to power failure? Even now that their grounded feet are yielding to the vertigo of reality, they still have not let go of the myths about Buhari ’ s abilities. They continue to imagine Buhari their god can indeed transcend human limitations .

They believe that things fell apart in Nigeria, not because the hyped Buhari mystique is incompetent to fulfil its extravagant promises , but because corruption fought back . They are content to fashion simplistic and reductionistic answers to complex problems .

They are the reason Nigeria needs to be extra wary . If anything ever happens to Buhari , these people could raze Nigeria to ashes and needlessly sacrifice innocent lives over nothing . This is not mere conjecture; we saw it happen in 2011.

When Buhari lost the presidential election , his followers did not think he deserved to lose , and they went on the rampage for days . They were aggrieved .

They killed , they stole , they destroyed . They let loose their murderous maniac upon people who had nothing to do with Buhari ’ s electoral loss. They imagined the Presidency was a throne, and Buhari a divinely appointed monarch .

The democratic rights of others, they surmised, should not prevent his reign . According to a human rights organisation , about 1 , 000 lives were killed during that conflict. While the killings were going on, Buhari himself retreated into his shell , sulky and adamant that they robbed him of the Presidency .

He refused to caution his supporters and waited for a public outcry to be unleashed against him before he finally disowned the rioters . In his mind , Buhari probably thought the carnage was warranted . When he would later speak about the electoral crisis in Nigeria , it was to warn us about baboons and monkeys that would be soaked in blood .

He sounded as unrepentant as ever . Those unfortunate lives were collateral damage and barely merited his empathy . For that man , ambition is everything even if it comes at the cost of human lives .

Since Buhari started going to the UK on medical holiday , he has hardly addressed the issue of his health . On one occasion though, he did admit that he was sicker than he had ever been in his life . And that admission must have been a slip because his aides had spent weeks fibbing about the man ’ s true health conditions .

When he rushed home from a prolonged medical vacation in 2017 because he feared the pro - Biafran protesters would break up the country, he did not speak on what took him away for so long . He could have used the opportunity to inform people he was unwell and that his condition is natural but that would detract from his myth .

If anything ever happens to him , his uninformed followers , and innumerable they are, will throw a fit because they will assume the southerners killed him . They will imagine they got rid of him because he is honest, and because he stopped corrupt people from turning Nigeria into a feeding trough.

Buhari ’ s popularity among his
talakawa crowd is as strong as ever . At every rally he has had in recent times, they dutifully assemble in their mammoth numbers , their spectacular presence a major middle finger to critics of Buhari ’ s incompetence. No matter how simple - minded those followers might be , they can still read meanings into the Nigerian political drama.

They are aware that without Buhari , the All Progressives Congress would never have smelt the Presidency . If he embarks on a gruelling re - election campaign schedule in 2019 and gets exhausted by the demands of his job , they will not let him take responsibility for his choices like an adult .

They will blame the APC for using him and his huge following to win the election . They will suspect that the whole “ Sai Baba ” movement in the South - West was not borne out of sincerity but a mere ploy to return power to the South - West .

Anyone who has seen the murderous rage of these people when their religion was supposedly desecrated will not toy with the death of someone they adore with relish . Buhari is aware of the following he has and the threat they constitute . The danger is unspoken but that does not make it unreal .

We should not assume that their rage will be confined to the northern region where Buhari is most popular . No . For daring to speak against Buhari in Wuse Market in the Federal Capital Territory , Charly Boy was nearly lynched by Buhari ’ s supporters .

That should tell us these people have no sense of limits. They are too zealous in their affection for Buhari to be restrained by the tenets of democracy that grant all of us the equal right to speak against our leaders and the conditions in which they oppress us .

Charly Boy did not go into their houses to complain about Buhari ; his campaign was in a public square , and he was well within his rights as a Nigerian citizen . It is in this same country that a man , Joachim Iroko, was attacked by Buhari ’ s supporters because he named his dog “ Buhari . ” That one happened in Sango - Ota , Ogun State.

Nobody should underestimate what his adorable followers are capable of , and that is why his health issue needs to be taken seriously.

If the APC has not raised it with him till now , they should tell him that he cannot afford to be sneaky about his condition. He needs to be selfless and consider the possibility that the stress of governance and re - election , coupled with his old age will take its toll at some point .

They should raise the possibility of him retiring and going home to nurse his dignity . If he genuinely loves Nigeria , he should not leave us with more problems than what we already battle .

There is too much bloodshed in Nigeria as it is, and our security apparatus can barely contain them . If his followers could destroy so many lives in 2011 over an electoral loss, I shudder to think what they will do if anything happens to him .

lalasticlala

By Mojeed Alabi 



After months of waiting game, the former Governor of Osun State and Acting Coordinator of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has formally resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Oyinlola was the National Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), one of the blocks in the APC during the 2015 general elections. He was once the PDP National Secretary.

Oyinlola, who is the Chairman of the Board of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), announced his resignation through a letter addressed to the Chairman of APC in Ward 1, Okuku, Odo Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.

The former APC stalwart, whose letter was dated Wednesday, May 9, 2018, said he was leaving the party due to his current politics including his coordination of the CNM.

“My resignation from the APC, therefore, is to enable me contribute more meaningfully to ongoing efforts at repositioning the politics of Nigeria for the good of the Nigerian people,” he said.

Oyinlola had indicated his intention to leave APC at the formal launch of CNM when he spoke about the perceived conflict of interest between his new task and his chairmanship of NIMC board.

Oyinlola had said the both the APC and the PDP have failed and have not been able to meet the aspirations of Nigerians, noting that CNM would mobilise young Nigerians to take over power from the ruling party.

The former governor: “We are trying to be like guardian angels; it is you that must decide who is to do what and at what level.

That is why we are having this meeting today and putting it back to you.”

lalasticlala

By Soni Daniel


Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested three fake crude oil sellers for allegedly defrauding a Ghanaian of the sum of N20 million.


https://www.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/oil-suppliers.png
Fake oil suppliers


The suspects: Otuma Firstborn, Stephen Okonkwo and Aniekan Udoh, were arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State after successfully fleecing their victim, Solomon Lamptey of the huge sum of money.

According to a statement by the EFCC’s Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, trouble came for the suspects when the victim, Lamptey, a Ghanaian, petitioned the anti-graft agency and accused them of presenting themselves as genuine crude oil sellers from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, when it was discovered that they were mere impostors.

Lamptey allegedly came to Nigeria in November 2017 seeking authentic suppliers of crude oil.
In his quest, he met Firstborn,who demanded and collected an initial sum of $1,800 and an additional sum of N500,000.00 for “Notice of Readiness for two vessels”: MT Skamandras and MT Toledo Spirit. The vessels were to deliver the crude oil to Lamptey in Ghana.

Aside the initial money Lamptey allegedly made to the suspects, a further payment of $56,000.00 ( N20,000,000.00) was paid to them as ‘logistics’ to move the vessels from Nigeria to Ghana.

Otuma is reported to have acted as a link to Okonkwo, who allegedly used his company, Rextronics Nigeria Limited to collect a sum of N13,000,000.00 out of the money Lamptey paid for the crude oil.

Udoh on the other hand, also took his own share of the money.

Some documents purportedly issued by NNPC were handed over to the petitioner and they include: Notice of Readiness( NOR); Authority to Board Vessel( ATB), Sales Purchase Agreement.

EFCC confirmed that all the documents were forged all in a bid to deceive the Ghanaian oil buyer.

Wilson said, “The suspects are in the custody of the EFCC and will soon be charged to court.

A Sharia Court sitting at Magajin Gari in Kaduna yesterday ordered that Mr. Idris Sai’du be given five strokes of cane for violating the Islamic Law on divorce.

The judge, Mallam Dahiru Lawal, also ordered the man to pay N5,000 to Hauwa Abdullah, his wife, for abandoning her and wasting her time for so long.

Lawal, who was irked at the respondent’s pronouncement of “I divorce my wife three times,” said it was not in line with Islamic practice. The judge, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), ordered the respondent to be given five strokes of cane.

The complainant, Hauwa, had earlier told the court that her husband chased her out of her matrimonial home since last year and had never checked on her ever since.

She said: “He asked me to leave his house since last year Ramadan, saying I should pack all my belongings and leave. It is almost a year now and he had never checked on me.”

Hauwa, who stated that they were not blessed with a child, added that she was in court to seek divorce as she couldn’t be married to a man that didn’t care for her.

She added: “I want this honourable court to compel my husband to divorce me as he is no longer interested in me.’’ In his response to the allegations, Sai’du said he ordered Hauwa to return (her parents’) home because “she has been communicating with her former husband, which I am not comfortable with. “I therefore divorce my wife three times.”

lalasticlala

Posted By: Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha




The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has shuts down three pharmaceutical companies, Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Limited; Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited and Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd., that were implicated in the codeine syrup crisis.

The DG of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosing this in a statement stated that the action was due to insufficient evidence gathered and apparent resistance to provide needed documents during inspection at the pharmaceutical companies.

“Due to insufficient evidence gathered and apparent resistance to provide needed documents during our inspection on May 2, 2018 at the respective companies in Ilorin and Lagos, respectively, it has become necessary to shut down all product lines of the three companies – Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Limited. Plots 3 & 8, Adewole Industrial Estate, Lubcon Avenue, Ilorin, Kwara State; Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited. No 405 Kaima Road, Ilorin, Kwara State and Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd., Ajao Estate, Lagos” she said.

“This is to allow for a full and comprehensive investigation. The three companies therefore remain closed. The reopening of the manufacturing companies will depend on the level of cooperation that is shown during the comprehensive investigation”.

The statement further read, “The Director General constituted a Task Force to be made up of NAFDAC Directors- Registration and Regulatory Affairs; Narcotics and Controlled Substances; and Drug Evaluation and Research”.

“Members of PMG-MAN in the Committee included the Executive Secretary of PMG-MAN, Fidson Healthcare; May & Baker PLC; and Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries. It was stated that on May 2-3, 2018 “A team of nine NAFDAC officers (2 from Drug and Evaluation Research – DER and 7 from Investigation & Enforcement – I&E) and ten mobile police officers were sent to Ilorin, Kwara state on May 2 2018 to carry out investigational inspection at the companies of the two different pharmaceutical companies that are licensed to manufacture codeine-containing syrup, and which were implicated in the BBC documentary”.

“The same investigational inspection by a different NAFDAC team took place on the same day and time as the Ilorin companies at the manufacturing facility of Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd., Ajao Estate, Lagos”.

“The focus of the assignment was to access and monitor from records the utilization, sales and effective distribution of the codeine containing cough syrups to the end users”..

“Meanwhile, meeting of the stakeholders mentioned above is being planned while the shut down and full investigation”

lalasticlala

A group of young men allegedly beat up Delta Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Chika Ossai in Umusadege, a community in Kwale, Ndokwa West local government area of the state on Monday over an allegation of land grabbing.

SaharaReporters reliably learned that the Commissioner had gone to the community with some officials of his ministry and was parceling out plots of land to his friends and cronies when some youths in the area got wind of the development and immediately mobilized to the scene to confront him.

The confrontation reportedly resulted in a fracas which lasted over 20 minutes and the commissioner was eventually rescued from the angry youth by officials of his ministry who accompanied him and other people in the area.



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Chika Ossai


Narrating the incident to our correspondent, a youth leader in Kwale who witnessed the scene said "Chika was lucky if not the intervention of some persons he would have landed in the hospital.

Ask people about Chika, they will tell who he is, he is a chronic land grabbing commissioner. Because he wants to run for the position of state house of Assembly, he has decided to be using peoples lands for political patronage. Chika is too corrupt and he want to represent us in the State House of Assembly come 2019.

"Go to Asaba, you will be told the history of his land grabbing exploit. Chika is on rampage, using government mercenaries in grabbing lands from innocent individuals. He came to do same in Umusadege community and got what he never bargained for.

Chika is a big disappointment to Ndokwa nation. All he cares about is to use his office to corruptly amass wealth. Who was him before his appointment.? But come to his home town you will be surprised of how he has amassed wealth," the youth leader said.

According to our local sources, the commissioner who hails from the area did not consult with the families and real owners of the lands before he began to carry out the illegal allocations.

A senior staff in the ministry who pleaded for anonymity confided in our correspondent that the land commissioner has penchant for land grabbing in and around Asaba, the state capital, as well as receiving millions of naira from prospective land buyers from across the Eastern part of the country.

"My boss is good at land grabbing using government as a cover. Across the state there is nowhere you will not see his foot print of land grabbing. Pay a visit to the Delta state University, Anwai campus, you will be shocked of his illicit antecedent of land grabbing. The school authority has complaining and lamenting over his attitude of grabbing of lands in the institution. All effort to stop him has remained fruitless," he stated.

The Commissioner, however debunked the claims that he was beaten up. He said he led some officials of the ministry to allocate plots of lands in Umusadege community, Kwale GRA to the beneficiaries as approved by the state Governor when some youths led by one Barrister Obigbore came alleging that the Umusadege community was not informed about the allocation.

By Abubakar Sadiq Isah



Thugs yesterday attacked the vehicle of Kuje area council chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi D. Galadima and his vice, Samuel Tanko Duda, after a stakeholders meeting at the Kuje town hall endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term bid.

City News learnt that the hoodlums smashed the windscreens of official cars of the chairman and his vice.

A witness, who identified himself as Benjamin, said the incident happened at about 1:13pm shortly after the APC stakeholders/executive meeting which had Senator Usman Jibrin Wowo, Danladi Etsu Zhin, Abdullahi D. Galadima, and other party chieftains in attendance.

He said the chairman and his vice were driving out of the town hall, venue of the meeting in a convoy when the thugs started throwing stones, which smashed the windscreens of the black Toyota Prado SUV the chairman was in; and the Toyota Camry, 2016 model carrying the vice chairman.

He said the chairman and his vice narrowly escaped when a team of Police Mobile men shot in the air and dispersed the hoodlums.

“Actually, it was after the party’s stakeholders meeting where they met and decided on the upcoming ward congress, and also endorsed Buhari for a second term, that the thugs started throwing stones,” he said.

Our reporter observed some of the thugs carrying cutlasses, sticks and stones, as mobile policemen used tyres and logs of wood to block the road leading to the council secretariat.

A signboard with the chairman’s banner was allegedly removed after some of the thugs pulled it down and set it ablaze in the middle of the road that leads to the council secretariat.

City News, however, observed heavy presence of armed security at the front of the council secretariat and some streets within the metropolis.

Reacting, Galadima said he and this vice were driving out of the venue of the stakeholders meeting when some thugs started hurling stones at his vehicle.

He alleged that the attack was planned by some persons ahead of the party’s stakeholders meeting.

“I thank God this incident happened in the presence of security agents and I am sure they will swing into action by going after the perpetrators,” he said.

When contacted, the FCT police command spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, said he was not aware of the incident, but told our reporter that he will get back to him.

As at the time of filing this report, however he had not gotten back to our reporter.

lalasticlala

Afeez Hanafi


The police in Lagos have arrested a 25- year - old cook , Kelechi Ugwu , for allegedly damaging the private parts of her neighbour , Emeka Egwu , in Ajiwe , in the Ajah area of the state .

Ugwu reportedly burst Egwu ’ s scrotum for allegedly denying her access to her boyfriend .

PUNCH Metro learnt that the unnamed boyfriend and Egwu were friends and there had been a disagreement between the lovers for some time which made them to keep each other at arm ’ s length.

The suspect was reportedly disturbed that Egwu did not reconcile her with her boyfriend .

Our correspondent gathered that the boyfriend had visited Egwu , but Ugwu was not aware until her estranged lover left.

She was said to have complained to a neighbour about Egwu’ s indifference to settle the disagreement and threatened to deal with him .

The victim reportedly confronted her after he got wind of the alleged threat and an altercation ensued .

The woman was alleged to have gripped his private parts and damaged one of his scrotums with her fingers .

It was gathered that the case was reported to the police at the Ajah division, which apprehended Ugwu .

A source disclosed to PUNCH Metro that Egwu told the police that he was caught unawares by the assault which happened on March 12 , 2018 .

The source said , “According to the complainant , he was outside around 7 pm that day when Kelechi (Ugwu ) passed in front of him , looking for her boyfriend who had visited him (Egwu ).

She left when she could not find him and told a woman that he (Egwu ) was the one who told her boyfriend to abandon her .

“ He said when he heard that she threatened to burn down his house , he confronted her . She reportedly picked a stick and hit him in the face .

While some people held the complainant and tried to caution him not to beat her , she used her fingernails to inflict injuries on his scrotum . ”

Another source , however, said the woman , in her statement to the police , said Egwu came to challenge her in her apartment for shouting as she was discussing an issue with her sister.

He said , “ The woman is a cook . She said she was reporting a friend to her sister and during the discussion , she became annoyed .

According to her , while she was shouting, Emeka (Egwu ) confronted her and beat her up with a stick . She said it was when she got to the station that he knew he was injured in the private parts . ”

A police prosecutor , ASP P. O . Dike , brought Ugwu before a Tinubu Magistrate ’ s Court on one count of assault.

The charge read, “ That you , Kelechi Ugwu , on March 12 , 2018 , around 7 pm , at General Paint , Ajiwe , Ajah , in the Lagos Magisterial District , did cause harm to one Emeka Egwu, by using your fingernails to thwart (sic ) his scrotum , thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria , 2015 . ”

The presiding magistrate , Mr. L. O . Kazeem , granted her bail in the sum of N 50, 000 with one surety in like sum .

The case was adjourned till May 21, 2018 for trial.

lalasticlala

West Africa’s infamous internet scammers have evolved, dropping their impersonations of online love interests, princes and U.S. soldiers in favour of hijacking corporate emails, costing businesses hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

It is a much more lucrative venture that works by gaining access to corporate email login details or passing off almost-identical addresses as the real deal, a scam known as Business Email Compromise (BEC), according to a report by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike issued on Thursday.

These Nigerian rackets now dwarf other types of online criminal theft, amounting to at least $5.3 billion of losses between October 2013 and the end of 2016, said CrowdStrike and the U.S. FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3).

“There’s a disproportionate amount of criminal gains they get from it,” Adam Meyers, vice president of intelligence at California-based CrowdStrike, told Reuters. “The lion’s share of ill-gotten, fraudulent money is around these business email compromise attacks. It’s a huge problem for our customer set.”

Nigeria has become one of the hubs of BEC. Nigerian online fraudsters, known as “Yahoo boys”, became notorious for trying to pass themselves off as people in financial need or Nigerian princes offering an outstanding return on an investment.

The capers became known as “419 scams” after the section of the national penal code that dealt – ineffectively – with fraud.

Yahoo boys even impersonated a U.S. forces commander in Afghanistan to defraud people by asking for help in recovering the assets of deceased soldiers. It forced the commander to issue a Facebook statement saying he would never try to contact anyone asking for financial help.

Now the scammers have bigger fish to fry, with the potential gains amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars a year, according to CrowdStrike.

Behind the fraudsters is an organised crime network with its hands in human trafficking, drugs, prostitution, money laundering and email fraud and cybercrime, the CrowdStrike report said. “The magnitude of this criminal threat has only recently begun to be understood,” it said.

The gang sprang from Nigerian universities and now extends from Africa to North America, Europe and Asia. Its targets have ranged from semiconductor makers to schools in U.S. states including Connecticut and Minnesota, passing themselves off as executives and lawyers to trick employees into wiring sometimes millions of dollars a day into bank accounts.

From there, the money is quickly laundered through a series of bank accounts that can be traced to Hong Kong and China, where the trail often goes cold because diverging regulations foil monitoring, CrowdStrike’s Meyers said.

With that money, the Nigerian scammers are often enjoying the high life, said Meyers, noting social media accounts filled with pictures of them posing with luxury Mercedes cars, gold watches, jewellery and champagne.

“It’s really hard to stop; you can’t stop it with anti-virus or any kind of software, it’s really kind of a human problem.”

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By Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji


The University College Hospital, Ibadan, was on Wednesday thrown into confusion, after a middle age man apparently committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of the hospital building.

The head of public relations of the hospital, Ayodeji Bobade, told PREMIUM TIMES the victim allegedly sneaked to the upper floor, following the ongoing nationwide strike embarked upon by health workers, and used the opportunity to kill himself.

He said the incident occurred at about 9 a.m., adding that the victim smashed his head on the concrete floor, and died on the spot.

The family could not be reached as at the time of filing this report, he said.

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who visited the scene saw bloodstains on the ground, while the hospital staff were seen cleaning the scene.

The body of the victim was moved to the morgue of the hospital.

Mr Bobade said the management of the hospital had informed the police, and that the only item recovered from the victim was a pair of his slippers, as there was no any identity on him.

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Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja


The Nigeria Police have perfected plans to move the embattled senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Dino Melaye, to Lokoja to face trial for an alleged illegal firearms possession and arming of political thugs.

THISDAY reliably gathered yesterday that Melaye might be flown to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, today (Wednesday) in a police helicopter after same attempt to transport the embattled lawmaker by road to Lokoja last Tuesday failed.

Melaye, who is currently admitted at the National Hospital Abuja after sustaining injuries while resisting his forced movement to Lokoja by the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), last Saturday overcame his recalled process as the people of his senatorial district refused to recall him.

He is the first Nigerian lawmaker to survive a recall move, which was apparently instigated and heavily financed by the Kogi State Government.

Reliable sources close to The State Police Command disclosed to THISDAY that the plan to take the senator to Lokoja for the second time would take place today (Wednesday) and the means had changed from land to air transport for “security reasons.”

It was gathered that the latest move by the police is contrary to medical advice from the authorities of the National Hospital in Abuja, a similar scenario that played out last Tuesday night at Zankli Hospital where Melaye was initially hospitalised, a development which led to the arrest of a medical doctor and Melaye’s younger brother.

According to Sources at the hospital, Melaye was not medically fit to be taken away to any location for now.

The embattled senator had earlier cried out that some people want to assassinate him for the crime he did not commit.

However, the case is billed for hearing in Abuja as directed by the acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Kafarati.

Meanwhile, all effort to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer of Kogi State Police Command, Mr. William Ayah, to comment on the issue proved abortive as his phone line could not be reached by THISDAY.

Samuel Awoyinfa , Abeokuta


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The Ogun State Police Command has arrested two men for allegedly gang - raping a 14 - year - old girl in Obantoko , in the Odeda Local Government Area of the state .

The suspects are Abiodun Ishola and Kehinde Oloyede .

The state Police Public Relations Officer , Abimbola Oyeyemi , said they were arrested on Saturday , April 28 , 2018 , following a complaint from the victim .

The victim , who is a hairdresser , had reported at the Obantoko division how the suspects allegedly raped her on the sanitation day .

Oyeyemi said during the exercise , the victim was on the way to her workplace , unknown to her that sanitation was still on.

He said , “ She said further that Abiodun , who was sitting in front of his father ’ s house , informed her of the restriction of movement and asked her to stay in the house pending when the exercise would end .

“ While she was with Abiodun , the victim said he took her bag inside the room and when she wanted to leave, he told her to go to pick her bag , not knowing that he (Abiodun ) had sent for his friend , Kehinde , who later joined him . They both forcefully had carnal knowledge of her .

“ It was her screams that attracted people who eventually rescued her . ”

He said the Divisional Police Officer , Obantoko division, Veronica Osakwe, later led detectives to the scene where Abiodun was apprehended and his arrest led to the eventual arrest of his accomplice , Kehinde.

He said on interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime .

The victim was reportedly taken to a hospital for medical examination .

“ The state Commissioner of Police , Ahmed Iliyasu , has ordered that the suspects should be transferred to the Anti - Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution , ” Oyeyemi added .

In another development , a police inspector, Azeez Ajasa, of Mopol 16, Oke Ilewo , Abeokuta , died in a lone accident on Tuesday at Sowo village along the Abeokuta -Kobape - Sagamu Expressway .

The Public Relations Officer , Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps , Babatunde Akinbiyi , said the deceased was travelling in a golf car with the number plate, EKY 631 BB, from Abeokuta to Iperu, when he lost control of the vehicle due to speeding.

The golf was said to have somersaulted and landed into a bush.

Akinbiyi said the victim ’ s corpse had been deposited in the mortuary of the Ijaiye General Hospital, Abeokuta.

By Balogun Alabi


A businessman, Mr. Joey Alatise, has prayed an Ikeja Customary Court, sitting in Lagos State, to dissolve his two-year-old marriage to his wife, Gloria Alatise, over allegations that his wife moved out of their matrimonial home because he has a weak erection.

Joey, 34, told the court that he could not cope anymore as he had waited patiently for his wife to return to the house, but to no avail. According to him, she turned deaf ears to his pleas for her to return home, even though he tried his best possible to ensure that his erection functions properly.

Joey further told the court that his unhealthy penis was not enough reason for his wife to move out of their matrimonial home, especially since he had already visited hospital for a checkup.

He said: “My Lord, I have visited the hospital and my doctor has assured me that my penis would function efficiently in a few months’ time. I explained what the doctor said to Gloria. To my surprise, I came back from work and found the house empty; my wife was nowhere to be found.”

However, the court president, Mrs. Ladele Funmilayo, directed the petitioner to plead with his wife once more in case she could change her mind.

She noted that if it was true that Joey truly was suffering from a weak erection, then it was not Gloria’s fault to leave since sexual intercourse was part of marriage. She added: “Mr. Joey, kindly try to apologize to your wife to move back into the house because sexual intercourse is very important in marriage since it is useful for reproduction.

You took a late decision by going to the hospital after two years of weak erection.” In response, the petitioner, who prayed the court to dissolve the marriage, added that since his wife moved out, he had already remarried and that his new wife was ready to accommodate his condition.

The president advised the petitioner that he should be patient and that there was every probability that his new relationship would end up in series of misunderstanding until he ensured he was physically fit in bed.