₦airaland Forum

By Ronald Mutum & Musa Abdullahi Krishi



Nigeria’s anti-graft agency has submitted a report to the Presidency on the N15bn it seized in an operation in Lagos, Daily Trust has learnt.

The report gave details of the discoveries made during the operation, as well as the origin of the money, credible sources said yesterday.

The money, seized from an apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi on Wednesday, was made up of $43.4 million, £27,000 and N23m.

The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has claimed the money.

Those who speak for the agency anonymously said the apartment was being used as a safe.

However, EFCC sources point out that the apartment is being rented by a private company.

The EFCC is, therefore, working hard to unravel the identities of the owners, sources said.

Also, the EFCC is said to be interested in the role some tenants in other apartments in the building may have played in stashing the money.

Among those who took up apartments in the highbrow area is a former governor as well as former senior officers of government agencies already under the radar of the EFCC over financial crimes.

It was gathered that the Director General of the NIA visited the acting Chairman of the EFCC and requested the money be given back to his agency, but his appeals were turned down.

This according to sources, might be to enable the NIA inform the Presidency on the real purpose of the fund, and reclaim it from there.

NIA source told Daily Trust that the apartment where the EFCC recovered the fund was protected by NIA personnel adding that “even those protecting the place were not aware of what was inside. There were NIA officials there when the money was taken by the EFCC.”

The source also said the President was aware of all NIA operations. He was being briefed appropriately.

On why the fund was not returned to the Federation Account 2 years after it was approved, the NIA source said “normally moneys budgeted for security operations are not returned to the treasury.”

The agency insists that the recovered N15 billion belongs to it and that the fund was approved for a covert operation.

It was also gathered that flyers of the Goodluck Jonathan-Namadi Sambo, 2015 presidential campaign was found at the apartment.

However, a source familiar with the operations of the NIA said a lot of irregularities characterised the previous administration in the name of covert operations.

He noted that even partisan activities could be termed covert operations, adding that feelers indicate that, the money kept in a house, meant they did not want it traced to any agency of government.

The source alleged that the money was to be used for the 2015 election but was now being kept to be used for 2019.

He added that further investigation might implicate the current leadership of the agency and other opposition governors in financial crimes.

He explained that monies used for covert operations by the NIA are not usually in large amount.

The source said funds for top class operations which required up to ten undercover operatives in a foreign country did not exceed $100,000, usually withdrawn from a bank.

He also said it is abnormal that such money (N15 billion) was kept in what is being described as a safe house.

According to him while there are safe houses, they are only used strictly for operational purpose and not financial.

Checks on the website of the Budget Office indicated that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), is under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Its budget for 2014 was N36.923 billion with personnel cost accounting for N26.132bn.
The total overhead cost was N2.262bn, while the capital component was N8.5bn.

The N13bn uncovered at the Lagos safe house was far more than the NIA’s other recurrent and overhead costs as well as the entire capital allocation combined allocated for 2014.

Similarly, the N13bn was higher than the entire overhead costs and capital expenditures for each of the agency’s budget for 2015, 2016 and 2017.

As for 2015, NIA’s budget was N33.470bn. The personnel cost for that year was N25.381bn; overhead, N1.789bn, with a total recurrent of N27.170bn, while capital expenditure was N6.299bn.

In 2016, NIA’s budget was N31.349bn, out of which personnel cost was N23.731bn; overhead was N1.375bn and the capital expenditure was N6.243bn.

The NIA’s proposed budget for 2017, which is currently before the National Assembly is N33.876bn. The personnel cost is N25.381bn; overhead is N1.864bn, while capital proposal is N6.631bn.

By Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos



Anger, protest and wailings have trailed the demolition of structures allegedly standing on the right of way of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) in many parts of Lagos State.


The NRC had on Friday last week commenced the demolition exercise ahead of the commencement of the 155- kilometer Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge train project.

Managing Director of the NRC, Engr. Fidet Okhiria had last week said the NRC bulldozers would clear all "illegal" structures on the railway line, pointing out that property owners with valid documents would be compensated.

He also said owners of the affected structures had been duly notified to pack their belongings.

Not long after the MD briefed newsmen, the corporation swung into action clearing all structures blocking the rail line beginning from Yaba up to Surulere, Mushin, Oshodi, Ikeja, Iju-Ishaga, Agbado, among others.

Daily Trust observed that many structures have been pulled down on the rail line while several houses are currently marked for demolition with residents currently leaving in fears and anxiety.

The MD of Railway could not be reached yesterday as he did not pick his call neither did he reply to the text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

However, residents and landlords are crying and wailing over the demolition, saying they were caught unawares as they were not adequately notified neither was any compensation paid to them.

Landlords and residents of Railway line in Mushin off Olateju on Monday told Daily Trust the notice given to them was very short.

Besides, they said no form of compensation had been paid to them, warning the Federal Government to thread softly with the demolition.

Spokesman of Landlords' Association, Mr. Daniel O. Daniels, explained that they thought the demolition was a rumour until the NRC brought cranes to their areas.

He said, "I will say that we were caught unawares because the notice that we were given was very short. Nobody was prepared for it and so far no compensation has been made. Everything was just like a rumour. Then it came to pass and we were told that this is the first batch, that they are still coming for the second batch which would affect the real houses in this area.

"No compensation has been made so far. There is no place, no landlord or any person that has been given any compensation. The notice we were given is just too short. They came on Thursday and they started demolition on Friday, less than 24 hours."

Daniels warned the NRC not to take the landlords for granted, saying they should follow due process in carrying out their demolition.

"We are telling them to go through the normal process. Those that have valid documents should be duly compensated and probably those that don't have because Obasanjo did it when he was constructing Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. He compensated those that had documents and those that didn't have.

Are they saying those that have built houses now should become tenants or should go and be sleeping under bridge?"

Chief Imam of Sadiku Oloro Central Mosque which is likely to be affected by the demolition said most of the landlords in the area are widows and pensioners who are already living from hand to mouth, saying pulling down their property would exacerbate their precarious situation.

Also speaking, Alhaji Abdullateef Adegboyega said he has been living in the area for the past 50 years, pleading with the NRC to settle them before embarking on any demolition. He said his building marked for demolition had valid documents which he offered to hand over to our correspondent.

FORTY-ONE days after its runway was shut for major repairs, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NNIA), Abuja, will re- open today, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Managing Director Saleh Dunoma said yesterday.

According to Dunoma, everything about the Abuja Airport runway was ready and awaiting the certification of the aerodrome by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ascertain compliance with operational standards.

He said the certification will be completed in two days, before the airport runway will open for commercial flights on Wednesday.

Dunoma told reporters that the two-day certification window will to allow NCAA to make corrections and on any area in line with civil aviation requirements.

He said: “We will be ready by Monday (April 17, 2017). But, we are leaving the remaining two days for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). This is because the NCAA has to certify the airport that what we have done is in accordance with their standards.

“After the NCAA does that, we will bring in the traffic. But if they do not, we have the opportunity of making corrections with the two days we have saved.”

On the reopening of the runway on Wednesday, Dunoma said: “No doubt about that, we will open it as scheduled. Just as I have said, we have been working with the NCAA throughout the period. They have been making corrections. But, for formality, we need to check and make sure that all the necessary corrections meet the requirement of the civil aviation authority.

“All the critical items of work are hundred per cent ready, except may be two items, which of course is the markings and the cleaning. Other critical item which is not serious work is the inspection by the NCAA who will come and certify that the repairs that had been carried out is satisfactory and give us the go ahead to bring in traffic to Abuja.

“Asphalt work is hundred per cent complete; markings have reached almost seventy per cent; and the airfield lighting system has attained eighty per cent completion.”

Responding to when the NCAA will carry out their inspection and certify the runway, he said: “We have written to them and they will come to do the preliminary inspection. If there is any observation as a result of the inspection, we will now make sure we carry out corrections.”

On the terminal building: “We are improving on all the services there and repairing all the items that are bad. It will be ready by Monday (tomorrow). Most of the items there have been completed. We are just trying to clean up.”

He said that FAAN has carried out other minor repairs at Abuja Airport, taking advantage of the closure as the perfect timing.

Dunoma said: “There is additional work which has nothing to do with this repair but we are seizing the opportunity of the closure of the airport to do.

This has to do with the APEX (Airport Excellence in Safety)-related items. We are now levelling all the airfield lightings’ locations, all the installations and flash with the ground surface. In case of any skidding, there will not be concrete projection above the ground surface.”

Concerning the calibration of Navigational Aids, he said: “We have not tampered with the Navids. We just worked on the runway. What we tampered with is the airfield lightings and the airfield lightings are being returned to the same position.

“The runway does not need calibration. All we need to check is to make sure there is 100 per cent illumination. Calibration is done periodically. When the time comes for calibration, the appropriate authority will calibrate the Instrument Landing System (ILS).”

The Abuja airport was shut on March 8 for six weeks to enable Julius Berger rebuild the 3.6-kilometre runway.

The runway, which was constructed in 1982 was meant to last for 20 years, but had been in use for 35 years without major repairs and maintenance.

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By Ismail Mudashir



Senators are set to clash with the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, over his position on the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered.

Osinbajo, a few days ago threw his weight behind Magu and suggested that he (Magu) does not need Senate confirmation, to head the agency.

A cross section of senators who spoke to Daily Trust on Sunday, said the comment of the Vice President would further worsen the feud between the executive and the legislature.

President Muhammadu Buhari had weeks ago constituted a mediation committee chaired by Osinbajo to address the stand-off between the two arms of government.

Magu has been rejected twice by the Senate over a report by the Department of State Services (DSS).

In an interview, a senator said even though Magu is presented 1,000 times for confirmation, they will reject him.

“It is funny that the Vice President is saying this. As a professor of law, he should know this and two, as the chairman of the peace committee, he shouldn’t have said this.

“His utterances will negatively affect the peace committee because one of the issues creating the feud is the confirmation of Magu. We are saying he should be replaced and he is saying, we are wrong. Let me tell you that even if Magu is presented for confirmation 1,000 times, we will reject him because he lacks the capacity to occupy that office,” he said.

Another senator who also spoke said the comment by the vice president angered many of them.

“I was not surprised when my attention was drawn to the report credited to the Vice President because from day one he has been in the forefront of the crusade for Magu’s confirmation. In fact, aside from sending Magu’s name for confirmation, all the campaigns for it have been from his office. We know this.

“As you know refusal of the executive to implement our resolutions is the bane of our relationship. Now he is saying this. How will he succeed? Will there be EFCC without an Act?”

Another senator, who also did not want to be named said the Vice President should invite the APC caucus, rather than antagonising them.

“We have three categories of people in the Senate. We have those who are against Magu, those who are for him and those who are neutral. By his statement, Osinbajo has spoilt the slim chance of Magu at the Senate and the peace committee he chairs,” he said.

Meanwhile, our reporter reliably gathered that the leadership of the Senate would review the resolution on the rejection of Magu on the 24th of this month.

A source close to the leadership said, “the meeting will be held on Monday 24th of this month outside the National Assembly. A decision would be taken on it and other issues including the 2017 budget. The following day on Tuesday, the issue would be tabled before senators at an executive session before plenary.”

Our correspondents report that the lawmakers are resuming from their Easter break on Tuesday, the 25th of this month. The two-week ultimatum given to President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Magu has elapsed.

The senators, on the 28th of last month stood down the confirmation of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over Magu. They said the RECs would not be screened unless Magu was replaced.

Efforts to get the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, to comment on the matter were not successful as his mobile phones were switched off when our reporter called him.

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A US married couple are in shock after a DNA test revealed that they are biological twins.

The couple, who were struggling to conceive a child, had visited a fertility clinic, but during the in vitro fertilisation process the doctor discovered there are too many similarities in their DNA profiles.

Investigations, however, revealed that the twins had been separated at a young age after their biological parents died in a car accident. They were adopted into different families, with neither foster family not knowing their adopted child had a twin.

The devastated couple was left at a loss with what to do, as marriage between siblings is outlawed in the southern state.

Neither the couple, who met and fell in love in college, nor doctor can be named for patient confidentiality reasons.

“They were attracted to each other due to their similarities. They felt they could really connect with each other. If only they had known the truth , it could have saved them so much pain later on, ” the doctor told Mississippi Herald.

“For me, it’ s a particularly unusual case because my job is all about helping couples conceive a child. This is the first time in my career that I've been glad I haven’ t succeeded in that regard.”

The penalty for marrying a sibling in Mississippi is up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $500.

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by Ndubuisi Ugah


Bid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to unmask the owners of the abandoned N449, 000,860 which was abandoned in a shop in Lagos, may have started yielding dividends as a suspect, believed to be Bureau De Change (BDC) operator and who is in the know of the abandoned money has threatened to ‘reveal the real identity’ of the owners of the money.

The suspect, who is alleged to be a BDC operator, also debunked media reports that the recovered money had been stashed in the shop for over two years, insisting that the money was actually moved in on Thursday (April 6).

The suspect also told EFCC operatives upon surrendering himself on April 10 that it would be suicidal for the “owner of the money to abandon the money”. The EFCC had on April 7 swooped on an abandoned shop located in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) complex, Legico, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, where reportedly recovered N449, 000, 860 which was hidden inside it.

It was reported that the sting raid was made possible after the commission received a tip off from a whistleblower that a huge sum of money was hidden in the shop, which the detectives confirmed on getting to the shop.

Recounting how the recovered money came into being, the suspect who, according to an EFCC source, is currently cooling off his heels in the anti-graft custody in Lagos, had said he was prepared to reveal the identity of the owner (s) of the money should the owner fail to own up to the ownership of the money.

The EFCC source, who confided in this newspaper, further stated that the suspect after surrendering himself, had threatened to “open up on the real owner of the money, after insisting that that would have happened after the expiration of April 10.”

The source said: “After we (EFCC) busted the N449, 000,860 which was abandoned in a Lagos shop, we intensified our dragnet to unveil the owner of the money, a suspect emerged surrendering himself to the commission by insisting that he knows the owner of the money. This development made us detain him and to further gathered more information concerning the money.

“The suspect made us to understand that the money was apparently moved in on Thursday (April 6) contrary to reports in the media that it had been moved into the shop for over two years.

The suspect said this is untrue. “Surprisingly, the suspect even in the course of interrogation, threatened to reveal the owner of the money should he fail to show up on Tuesday (April 10).”

Meanwhile, efforts to get EFCC’s spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, to confirm the story proved abortive. Text messages also sent to two of his telephones lines were similarly not answered as at the time of going to press.

This curiously made the commission to be on the lookout should anybody come up for the money.” The EFCC source also told this newspaper that the suspect, who was already cooperating with the antigraft agency, said the owner of the “money ordered the movement of the cash on Thursday” with the intention of getting it converted into foreign currency.

“It is instructive to note that the suspect also opened up that one of the reasons why the money was moved on Thursday in anticipation to get it converted was because the owner was convinced that the money and the shop are safe due to the presence of the Nigerian Air Force complex, which serves as a strong cover up and security,” the EFCC source added further.

Nasi el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, says some of the appointees of former President Goodluck Jonathan who were running key federal agencies were dismissed after the memo he wrote to President Muhammadu Buahri.

“Since then the government has moved ahead to change some of the appointees of President Jonathan in parastatals,” he said.

“This is something that we were worried about, many of us in APC felt that we were in office but not in power because the people that Jonathan appointed were still running most of our key agencies.”
The federal government changed the head of 23 key agencies on Thursday.

However, el-Rufai blamed some people around Buhari for the manner in which the memo was leaked.
In the 30-page document, el-Rufai told Buhari that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was leaving below expectation.

Making reference to Abba Kyari, chief of staff to the president, and Babachir Lawal, secretary to the government of the federation, the governor said some of the people around Buhari were not only selfish, but inexperienced.

Last month, el-Rufai had said he had no regrets about what he wrote , and that he felt less concerned if anyone was upset about the letter.

But speaking with state house correspondents after attending Jumat service with the president on Friday, el-Rufai said he had it on good authority that those around the president released the document.

“I am disappointed that a private communication to the highest office in the land can be leaked and it was leaked from the villa,” he said.

“This is a fact. I was told by those who published it… we live in an age where anything you write or say can be leaked. I have no ill motive but I wanted to communicate with the president what many Nigerians are talking about and what steps can be taken to improve governance of the country and move the country forward.

“That was my motive and if tomorrow, like I said, I see anything that the president needs to know I will discuss with him and I will articulate and put it into writing and on the record for him to have a reminder document to work on.”

El-Rufai said he had noticed significant improvement at the federal level after writing the memo.

“I believe that since September last year when I wrote the letter, there has been significant improvement in the delivery of services at the federal level as I said some of our federal programmes have started in earnest,” he said.

“Social protection for instance, the N-Power, budget releases have been accelerated, this is an unprecedented move.

“The minister of finance has released up to about a trillion naira of capital budget. In September last year, little or nothing had been released and that was part of my concern. Since then the economic recovery and growth plan had been unveiled.

At the time I wrote the memo, there was no five-year plan for the country. From September till date, there have been significant improvement. So there is improvement, and I believe that part of what I recommended to the president is being implemented, whether because of my memo or not, the country is moving forward and I am grateful to God for it.”

The Kaduna governor also denied the reports that the memo led to a strain in his relationship with Buhari.

“There is no strain in my ties with the President. The villa is a bigger place. Within the villa there are people that like me and there are those who don’t and it is normal,” he said.

“My relationship with the president has never been strained in anyway. I met with him last night (Thursday), I did not talk about things like that but our relationship with him is like that of father and son and it is privilege for me.

“I told him I will come today for the Jumaat and I did.”
Asked why he would write such a letter to the president in the first instance, he said, “It was a private memo and it is not a letter. If you want to ask any question about it, you ask those who leaked the memo because I wrote it seven months ago.

“I have written similar memos to the president in the past and none of them got leaked. He knows that he can count on me to give him my views of what is out there that he may not hear and to give him sound advice without any interest on my part.

“If anyone reads that memo, he will see that there is nothing in the memo that has anything to do other than the success of Mr President and progress of the country. That is my goal, my motive and I am driven by that. I stand behind the President to the very end.”

by Cajetan Mmuta


For Mr Monday Layasini Abu, the nuptial knot tied six years ago at the Oredo council area of Edo State is now at crossroads and the centre can no longer. As a Senior Political Science lecturer at the Western Delta University, Ogharra, in Delta State, he had hoped to enjoy his marital bliss with his wife, Mrs. Glory, but his hopes and expected peace that go with such union have been shattered and torn apart by high level suspicion and allegation of infidelity as well as threat to life.

The couple are now explaining the soured fate to members of the public at the High Court 10, Benin, where the Mr. Abu instituted a divorce suit against his wife in a marriage that had produced a handsome four-yearold male child. Worse of all, Abu recently raised the alarm over the sudden presence of alleged suspected assassins, who came around his Eyea residence, a Moslem dominated suburb of the ancient Benin town.

He alleged that his estranged wife hired the suspects with a view to getting him eliminated. This is despite the ongoing legal war for divorce in the past one year.

Narrating his ordeal, Abu said he took to raising the alarm because few days after a heated quarrel, his wife to his utter shock openly told him that he is not the real biological father of their son, Master Abu Stanley Osiemobo. Abu, who broke down in tears intermittently before newsmen at the secretariat complex of the Edo State Chapter of Nigeria Union Journalist, NUJ, in Benin, said life has been miserable and accused Glory of negligence and alleged infidelity.

According to him: “At the beginning, the marriage was very rosy at a point I was working at the Ministry of Environment and later I got an appointment as an assistant lecturer at the department of Political Science and Sociology, Western Delta University Ogharra, Delta State.

Somewhere along the line, I started experiencing all kinds of difficulties in terms of relating with my wife at home; many times, she had left the home to go and stay at an unknown place for days and at times, I used to draw the attention of the family to it but what shocked me most was when she decided not to take good care of my son. Even when I gave money to her to cook, she do not buy anything home and she often complained that the money I gave her got missing and I have had causes to report the matter to her siblings and close friends and they made several efforts to talk to her but all to no avail because she already had a mind set to ensure that I don’t enjoy the benefit of a happy marriage life.”

He said, “Several times, the family also made me to believe that I have not taken the right decision by marrying their daughter and sister and I can count two occasions whenever we have issues at home, she would come to my office at Oghara to insult me and pour all kinds of profanities on me.”

Continuing, he explained:“On two occasions, I have seen this woman with two of my friends, (names withheld) who have been hobnobbing with this woman in my absence and to my greatest shock and dismay, some key officers of the University are aiding and abetting this immoral behaviour. All the steps taken to manage the situation fell on deaf ears and when I now saw that all my efforts to see that this matter is resolved are not yielding the desire results, I decided to invite my family and her family but all to no avail. She had fought me several times in public and torn my cloths to shreds.”

He stated further that “on the 19th of August, 2015, my wife arrested me to Aduwawa Police Station with a fictitious name of Eraboh Glory, contrary to her name on the marriage record. I told the Police in the presence of my in-law who is a staff of AIT, Mr Braimah Amozozo; his presence was responsible why I was allowed to go home.

She went to the station claiming that I was not taking care of my son and I had to show the police evidence of school fees payment and all that. More disturbing, she continued to stay out of the house without my consent. Even when I went to see her family, they justified her action by telling me that they don’t know her whereabouts and when they call her, she doesn’t pick her phone call.

He added that “My life has been made miserable all this years because of her cruel disposition. I had to find a way of running down to NUJ because my life is now under threat because of some strange looking men I see around in my house holding dangerous weapon, which points to the fact that there is an agenda to eliminate me.

She even told me that she would kill me. Just yesterday (Monday), we had a little misunderstanding. This woman I legally married, had a child for me and I have been responsible for the upkeep of the child, in terms of feeding, clothing and medicare, told me that I am not the father of the child I took to UBTH for hydrocell surgery just November 2016. What is even more shocking and when I asked her to name the father of the child she was silent and could not justify her claim.

Since she is alleging that I am not the father of the child, I now want the press and the whole world to now beckon on this woman to tell the world who the father is so I can know the next action to take given that I have instituted a case of divorce against the woman at High Court 10 in Benin City under the watch of Justice Ogbebor.

The next hearing of the case has now been slated for April 10, and the marriage was contracted in Oredo Local Government Area and she left my house on the 18th January 2017.” But Mrs Glory Abu in her reaction on the gross allegations denied sending assassins or thugs after the husband.

She noted that what her husband’s only interested is to forcibly take the custody of their only child from her.

Glory explained that she has continued restrain herself despite all the provocations by her husband in order not to run afoul of the law since the matter is already before a competent court of jurisdiction. She further reaffirmed that her husband is the true and biological father of the child. She narrated what led to the recent altercation at her business premises last Sunday. “As usual, my husband came here to see our son at the shop; I have never denied him access to our son. He came and started shouting, calling me a prostitute and all kinds of names in public.

I have tried to avoid him because I want peace in my life. I have not been to his house since we separated; he should please leave me alone, I am not after his life.”

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CYRIACUS IZUEKWE


The chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Iba Town and chairmanship aspirant in Ojo Local Government of Lagos State in the coming LG elections in the state, Chief Emmanuel Nwankwo has died.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the Ndiowu in Orumba North Local Government of Anambra State-born politician died barely ten minutes after returning from a PDP meeting held at the Lagos State Secretariat on Wednesday.

Our correspondent gathered that the late Nwankwo returned from the meeting and started vomiting blood and was rushed to a hospital in Ojo where he was admitted.

But when the hospital management could not handle the case, he was transferred to another hospital on the Lagos Island where he eventually died.

His death has thrown the residents and party members into confusion and utterly shock as they claimed that he might have been poisoned due to the party leadership crises in the area.

Though, autopsy report yet to ascertain the cause of his death, P.M.EXPRESS gathered that there has been leadership tussle among the PDP members in Iba town between the Igbo and other ethnic groups in the area.

At the end, Nwankwo, popularly known as Guilder, emerged as chairman and was hoping to be the party aspirant before this incident happened.

When our correspondent visited his popular hotel where he used as his office, the staff confirmed the incident but still in shock over what happened.

Some of the party members contacted also were still in shock over his death.

One of them told our correspondent that indeed there has been crisis in the area but it was resolved with late Nwankwo emerged as the Party leader in the area.

Meanwhile, his corpse has been taken down to his village and deposited at a mortuary from where he will taken for burial.

According to the family members, not date has been fixed for his burial.

The late Nwankwo is married to two wives and had many children.

Afeez Hanafi


A candidate in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination has been murdered in Ibeshe Tuntun, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, by suspected ritual killers.

The pupil’s parents were also hacked to death in what was said to be a recurrence of the killings perpetrated by the assailants in the community.

The teenager, identified as Lucky Ebhodaghe, was the only child of the family.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the killers had torn the window net and cut some burglar - proof bars to gain access into the victims’ apartment late Monday night.

They were said to have inflicted machete cuts on the family members, leaving them for dead.

Our correspondent gathered that neighbours of the deceased were not aware of the incident until around 12pm on Tuesday, when Ebhodaghe's friends and a teacher visited the residence to know why he was not in school for the exams.

A resident, who gave his name only as Dosu, said , “ It was an attack by those criminals called Badoo. They entered the building after cutting the burglar - proof bars. They hacked the couple and their only son to death.

“ The boy was sitting for WASSCE. He was supposed to sit for two exams on Tuesday– one in the morning and the other in the afternoon . His friends and one of his teachers were worried when he did not show up for the morning paper. They came to check on him after the first exam and found the door locked.

“ When they peeped through the window, they found him in a pool of blood and raised the alarm. That was when their neighbours knew about the incident. On getting into the apartment, they also found the corpses of his parents. They had cuts on their faces. ”

A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were signs that the hoodlums raped Ebhodaghe's mother as her underwear was tattered.

He said the case was reported to policemen at the Ipakodo division, adding that the police deposited the corpses in a morgue.

“ The private parts of the woman were messed up. All indications pointed to the Badoo cult group. They usually rape their female victims and use them for rituals.

“ The Ipakodo Divisional Police Officer was here yesterday ( Tuesday) and photographs of the deceased family were taken. Their church members were also here. It is sad a whole family can be wiped out just like that.

“Until this attack, we had enjoyed relative peace in the community for some months. The police are trying, but they need to beef up security in the community, ” he added.

Another resident, who did not want his name in print, blamed the attack on the release of a suspected member of the gang arrested by the police sometime in 2016.

He said, “ Instead of the police to arraign him in the Ikorodu Magistrate's Court , he was taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba. The police there arraigned him in the Ebute Meta Magistrate's Court without the knowledge of the complainant and other witnesses.

“ The suspect was released on bail and he is back in the community. It seems the gang has connection with some powerful people . Together with this tragedy, no fewer than 10 people have been killed so far by this gang.

“ We have written petitions to Governor Akinwumi Ambode and some other commissioners in the state and carried out protests. The Lagos State Government should rise to its responsibility and secure our lives. ”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous -Cole , who confirmed the killings, said investigation had commenced.

He said , “ A resident put a distress call across to the station that three corpses were found in an apartment . A police team visited the scene where the victims were found in a pool of blood. The corpses have been deposited in the Ikorodu General Hospital mortuary for autopsy. Investigation is in progress. ”

It will be recalled that the gang had stormed a residence in the community in June 2016. They allegedly killed a Ghanaian after raping her and inflicting injuries on her eight- month-old baby.

In July 2017, the assailants went back to the community, raped and blinded a 60-year -old woman, Francisca. They allegedly brutalised her 10-year- old daughter for raising the alarm.

On October 21, 2016, the gang reportedly attacked a family in Oluwoye community, Ibeshe, killing a 30-year - old pregnant woman, Afusat Yusuf. Her husband, Kazeem , and the couple’s two kids – Rodiat, six, and five - year- old Opeyemi – were also stabbed to death .
On December 26, 2016, the attackers allegedly struck on Saka Adegbose Street, off Olu Odo Road, Ikorodu, killing two siblings, Azeezat Oriade and Abeeb Oriade.

On March 1, 2017, they allegedly attacked a family on Masafejo Street, Agbowa , Ikorodu , killing three siblings between the ages of four and nine. Their mother also died.

By Francis Arinze Iloani, Ojoma Akor (Abuja) & Mohammed Shosanya (Lagos)


The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) said Mirinda and Lucozade soft drinks are unsafe for Nigerian consumers.

The council said both beverages contained benzoic acid level above the limit approved by the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS).

The Council said in a statement obtained by Daily Trust yesterday in Abuja that while the NIS limit for benzoic acid is 250mg/Kg, when combined with Vitamin C and 300mg/Kg without Vitamin C, test revealed that Mirinda, a product of 7UP Bottling Company, contained benzoic acid ranging between 0.56mg/L to 330.9mg/L.

It said Lucozade, formerly produced by Glaxo SmithKline, contained the acid between 2.26mg/L to 323.53mg/L.

The two companies were however not available for comments yesterday.

The council said the test was conducted at the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), a laboratory under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.

The council said it obtained 65 samples of soft drinks from the open market in eight locations within the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, made up of Fanta Orange, Sprite, Mirinda and Lucozade.

“The Council also observed from the results that there were isolated cases of Mirinda and Lucozade with Benzoic Acid levels of 330.9mg/L and 323.53mg/L respectively, which are above the NIS limit,” the Director General of CPC, Mrs Dupe Atoki, said.

The Council further said the test found that benzoic acid levels in Fanta Orange ranged from 5.09mg/L to 197.0mg/L while that of Sprite ranged from 2.82mg/L to 239.0mg/L, indicating that both soft drinks were safe for Nigerian consumers as they contained benzoic acid within the limit approved by the NIS.

Atoki said NAFDAC and SON have been informed of the investigation and has recommended regulatory action and review of the “benzoic acid limits in soft drinks as the current standard, which has been in existence since 2008 is overdue for review.”

Effects of excess benzoic acid on the human system

Head Dietetics Department at the National Hospital, Abuja, Mrs Sarah Abagi said excess benzoic acid has negative effects on the skin, the nervous system and the skeletal system and bones.

She said benzoic acid should not be more than the approved limit or in large quantities in food and drinks especially carbonated drinks because of these effects and the diseases it cause, adding that it was used as an emulsifier and in body creams.

Asked the approved limit, she said deciding the approved limit for each country or area is usually done by experts like, food scientists and food technologists, biochemists and process engineers under the purview of regulatory organizations like National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Health experts also say that benzoic acids may react with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in some soft drinks, forming small quantities of benzene, which causes cancer and other ailments.

Some studies have also linked benzene with bone marrow failure, acute leukemia and aplastic anemia.

The Federal Government has said it will provide at least 15 million jobs for Nigerians by the year 2020 as captured in the recently launched Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, gave the assurance at a news conference on ERGP yesterday in Abuja.

Udoma said the implementation of the plan would deliver some key outcomes including generation of at least 10 gigawatt of electricity by 2020.

“We want to bring down the rate of unemployment by creating over 15 million direct jobs by 2020 in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, services and particularly among the youth.

“We want the manufacturing sector to grow at average of 8.5 per cent, peaking 10.6 per cent by 2020.

“We want agriculture to also grow by 6.9 per cent over the Plan period; we want self-sufficiency in rice and wheat in 2018 and 2020 at the end of the plan period.
“We want 60 per cent reduction in imports of refined petroleum products by 2018 and to become a net exporter of refined crude by 2020.

“We expect an average of 4.6 per cent average real GDP (Gross Domestic Growth) growth rate over the Plan period with 7 per cent by 2020; we want to achieve single digit inflation rate by 2020.

“We want to increase crude oil output from 2.2 million barrel per day (mbpd) to 2.5 mbpd by 2020.
“We want to achieve at 10 gigawatt of operational electricity capacity by 2020.’’

Udoma said the ERGP evolved from the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) which government had been implementing since 2016.

“Already, following the implementation of the SIP, the economy has shown signs of early recovery in the 4th quarter of 2016 as indicated in the recent report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“We need to build on that momentum. This Plan, which succeeds the SIP, sets out Government’s economic programmes and strategic interventions over the next four years (2017-2020).

“When implemented, it will put Nigeria back on the path of diversified, inclusive, sustained growth. This is therefore, our blueprint for economic recovery and growth.’’

Udoma said the plan would tackle the fundamental problems that held back the progress of the country in the past.

He said the future prosperity rests upon collective support towards effective implementation of the Plan over the next four years.

The ERGP’s projected that Nigeria will make significant progress to achieve structural economic change with a more diversified and inclusive economy in five key areas by 2020.

Udoma said the ERGP is inclusive as the Federal Government will partner with state governments in its implementation.

He said that the ERGP took into considering the role of states, constituencies and local government as a federation with 36 states and 774 local government areas.

“We consulted with the states and they have a major role to play, 50 per cent of this economy is at the state level and many of the things we want to do, for instance agriculture is at the state level.

“The ease of doing business, most of the permits are given at the state level so we are working very closely with the state governments and what they will be doing is based on this plan.

“They will go down to each state and develop their own plans which will be aligned with this plan.

“Some of them already have their plan, so they just need to adjust it a bit so that it is seamless.

“So this plan, the plans of the states will be working collaboratively and closely together,’’ he said.

Udoma said that the Chairman of the Governors Forum had assured of the states’ commitment and pledged to partner with the Federal Government on the implementation.

“So every time we meet at the National Economic Council with the governors, we discuss the plan and we work together to try to see how we can make sure that there is extensive collaboration between the states and the Federal Government.

“So, the states are part of this plan and they are very important part of the plan,’’ he said.

On the passage of 2017 budget, he said that the ministry was working closely with the National Assembly to ensure its early passage
.
“As regards transportation, whatever needs to be done to provide improved transportation, whether marine, the ports, the rail, roads is all part of our objective, we want massive improvement in transportation.’’

Udoma said the plan provided incentives for the private sector to invest in key sectors.

“What drive the private sector are incentives and profit, so whatever you structure, you must show people a part to make some money from it. Once you show people a part, they will invest.

“So our part as government is where there are constrains, we tackle them, where there are bottle necks we remove them and we want to sit down with the private sector and show them that there are opportunities in this economy.’’

He said the plan would be an opportunity for the private sector to invest in the economy.

By John Chuks Azu


Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan yesterday explained that she withdrew $100,000 from her unblocked Skye Bank account for medical treatment.

Speaking through her solicitor, Barrister Charles Ogboli, the former first lady, said she never wanted to withdraw all the money, but just to ensure compliance to the order of court.

“She wanted to withdraw $5 million on Friday but unfortunately there was no funds and they (the bank) pleaded with her that she can withdraw $100,000 in order to comply with the order of court. They have complied fully with the order of court,” he said.

“Therefore the Notice of Appeal (by the EFCC) came late. The Notice and Stay of Execution is a mere application. And we are talking of court order. Appeal has not been entered yet; records have not been transferred from the lower court to the Court of Appeal. In the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, by mere fact that you have an appeal against a proceeding, it does not stop the trial from going on. That was what they were acting upon.

“Unfortunately for them, the order has been executed. Even when you move the motion it is an exercise in futility. So we are going to court to respond to whatever they filed. The issue is that she went to the bank and applied and account was debited with $100,000. There were no challenges as to withdrawal from her account. She was not in any pressure to withdraw all the money, after all the money was there. But this is just for her medical treatment and all that.”

“I wonder why some print media will be publishing things that are not within their knowledge or facts. Mrs Jonathan is a law-abiding citizens and she has not done anything which is ultra vires to the laws of the land,” he added.

Peter Dada , Akure


The bride who failed to show up for her wedding ceremony on Saturday in Ondo town , Ondo State , Miss Taiwo Orimoloye, has called her parents from Osogbo, the capital of Osun State , according to a source close to the family.

Taiwo failed to show up for the church service on her wedding day, disappointing her husband to -be and many guests who attended the wedding.

Her parents and the family of the groom knew nothing about her whereabouts.

However, a resident of Christ Land area in Oka , Ondo, where the Taiwo ’s parents live, on condition of anonymity disclosed that the ‘runaway’ bride had called her parents on a different telephone line, informing them of her whereabouts.

The resident said, “ She has called her parents on a telephone line on Monday where she told them that she was in Osogbo. Her call, as a matter of fact has doused the tension in her family.

“ Everybody in the family is now happy that she is alive hale and hearty. ”

By Daramola Adebayo


There was a mild drama at Amuloko area, a suburb of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Saturday when some policemen stormed a wedding engagement and arrested a man suspected to be a member of an armed robbery gang.

He was picked up during his wedding engagement.
The suspect, who is fondly known as Togo, was arrested alongside some members of his family and that of the bride for alleged involvement in armed robbery.

A source at the event informed journalists that the police stormed the event at Olaoluwa area of Amuloko, packed the wedding cakes and some of the items meant for the wedding.

“Immediately the policemen stormed the venue, they headed straight to where the groom was sitting and handcuffed him.

“They also picked some members of his family; while this was going on, people that have come from different location for the wedding flee in different directions”, the source said.

A police source who spoke on condition of anonymity said “the groom and other members of his gang robbed at Olodo on Friday and two of them were arrested in the morning and later another one was arrested; he was the one that gave us the information about Togo’s wedding and the other one is now at large.”

However, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Adekunle Ajisebutu said though he had read the report somewhere, he was not aware of its source.

Ajisebutu in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Sunday told the reporter to call him back so as to find out the source of the story.

“I am not aware of the incident.

“Though, I have read about it somewhere but I don’t know the source of the story. I will find out. Call me back, let me find out”, he said.

By Simon Echewofun Sunday


Eleven electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) rejected 10,200 megawatts (mw) allocation in one month, industry figures have shown.

This is coming at a time the country is experiencing low generation of electricity due to gas supply constraints.

The incident happened mid February and extended to the second week of March.

The DisCos were allocated a total of 75,021mw within the period but they accepted 65,729mw which they distributed to the end users.

However, the difference of 10,200mw was rejected by different DisCos per time.

Data obtained exclusively by the Daily Trust indicated that a few DisCos in February and March took excess power totalling 780mw.

Analysis by our reporter shows that Ikeja and Benin DisCos topped the list of the highest load rejecters as they did that for over three times in the period.

On February 15, being the first day of the period in focus, the industry statistics showed that the 11 DisCos were allocated 3868.38mw based on the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) 2015 Allocation table.

They consumed 3151mw, leaving out 769mw. Benin and Ikeja DisCos rejected the highest load of 171mw and 159mw, while Yola DisCo rejected 9.62mw being the lowest.

On the last day of the period being March 14, 2017, the DisCos got 3,640mw allocation but consumed 3,038mw.

A balance of 607mw was turned down that day. Ibadan DisCo topped the list with 184mw while Yola DisCo, now a public-driven utility firm again rejected the least of 16mw electricity loads.


Reactions trailing the rejection

Complaints of load rejection have been heavy since the period in focus began. Spokesperson for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Seun Olagunju in a recent statement said its System Operations - Osogbo arm directed Generation Companies (GenCos) to ramp down on production to stabilise the system due to many load rejection.

Confirming this, statistics obtained from the operators of Kainji Hydro GenCo show that due to the ramping down of load, it lost 1,420mw in just six days in March.

But in an exclusive interview and a later briefing, the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) speaking through the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) revealed reasons for the claimed load rejection.

ANED’s Director of Research and Advocacy, Barrister Sunday Oduntan explained that TCN often defies the daily load schedules of the DisCos by transmitting electricity to where DisCos have low distribution needs, leaving out the high areas of electricity demand.

He said: “The issue is about wrong dumping of load where the DisCos cannot recover the cost at that point as the power supply is not always enough for all the customers under a particular DisCo.”

An Abuja based Power Efficiency advocate, Mr. Odey Haruna said the 10,200mw rejected load is enough to power many industries for weeks, thereby creating productivity and leaving huge economic impacts.

Haruna advised TCN to strengthen its networks to minimise the transmission constraints leading to poor load allocation in the cities.

“The DisCos must also do their best to optimise their cables and transformers. If Nigerians are hungry for electricity and the available ones are being rejected, then it makes no economic sense completely,” he said.

kwalakwala123:
Chineke meee God of Isaac
Which kain yawa b dis naa. Something similar happened in my village then. They guy got the news while they were already inside the church. He got angry and collected the microphone and ask if any lady will like to marry him right there. Luckily enough for him one fine girl stood up and her parents follow her up to the alter and gave their blessings. The dad requested for just 10k as dowry, which the guys family provided it right there inside the church and the pastor prayed for them. The food and drinks was served immediately after the prayers and the couple travelled to down to Lagos the next. Only visible home five years later with 3kids two boys twins a fine girl. The lady con fine eeeeh.....
But as for the run away bride to be never got married till i left the village.

pussyeater:
Use brake oil then

pussyeater:
Do you need Vaseline?

Zeuz007:
Who has noticed tboss n!pples

Adelani Adepegba, Abuja


The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed allegation by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris planned to kill him .

It described the allegation as malicious , saying it was capable of misleading and causing disaffection between the NPF and the people of Rivers State , the police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said in a statement on Sunday.

Wike had in an interview said the IG had instructed the state Commissioner of Police to kill him, but the police disclosed that the governor was being guarded by 221 policemen.

Moshood stressed that the governor had more policemen than some police area commands in some states and also faulted claims by Wike that nine Commissioners of Police had served in the state since the IG assumed office , hinting that only three CPs had served there.

He said, “ There was no time either recently or in the past that the Inspector- General of Police gave an order or assignment to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State or any police officer anywhere in the country to kill Mr . Nyesom Wike , the Executive Governor of Rivers State or directs the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State to cage the governor as alleged.

“ It is incumbent on the Nigeria Police Force to educate the general public and draw the attention of the governor to the facts and figures available for press and members of the public to verify, that there are 221 police personnel attached currently to Governor Nyesom Wike for his personal and office protection . ”

According to the police, the personnel attached to Wike included one Aide - De- Camp , one Chief Security Officer , one Unit Commander ( Special Protection Unit ) ; one Unit Commander ( Counter Terrorism Unit ) and one Escort Commander.
Others are one Camp Commander; one Admin officer to administer the police personnel, 54 Inspectors, 136 Sergeants and 24 Corporals.

The police spokesman explained that 28,000 policemen and personnel of other security agencies were deployed in Rivers State in December last year for the rerun election.

A German national, Mr Brenard Christo, who slumped on Friday at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, has died at an undisclosed hospital.

The spokesman for the Lagos Airport Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, confirmed the death of the German to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

Alabi said the deceased was waiting to board a local Arik Air flight on Friday morning when he suddenly collapsed.

He said medical personnel attached to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) rushed to the scene to assist the German citizen and was eventually taken to a hospital where he later passed on.

Mr Simon Tumba, the media consultant to Arik Air, also confirmed the development.

He told NAN :“What happened was that a passenger en route Benin, when he was boarding had slumped.

“And Arik being a responsible carrier promptly contacted the medical team from FAAN, who took him to the hospital where he later died. ”

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE


There is a twist in the matter of the woman allegedly raped by a man Obinna Arthur in connivance with his wife, Chinyere Arthur at an hotel in Egbeda, Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that there is a latest development as the court has ordered the prosecutor to send the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP for advice as the woman was said to be pregnant as at the time he was allegedly lured, drugged and rapped at the hotel.

It was gathered that the woman’s husband has complained that his wife has been experiencing heavy bleeding from her private part since the incident happened.

Since the fresh pregnancy angle has been reported, the court seeks further advice on the matter.

Police source said the victim, after being lured to the hotel and drugged, the couple took her into the hotel room and the husband forcefully had sex with her, while the wife was videoing the romp with her phone but covered her husband’s face from being seen in the video.

The police said after the dastardly act, the couple went ahead to download the act and shared it on the social media and among their neighbours.

The matter was reported to the police who later arrested the couple and charged them to court.

While the motive behind their alleged action was not disclosed by the suspects to the police, P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the victim was close to the wife before the incident happened.

At the Ejigbo Magistrates court where they were arraigned, they pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr Akeem Fashola granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

They were remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail.

By Simon Echewofun Sunday



The national electricity grid lost 2,591 megawatts (mw) on Wednesday due to gas shortage, line constraint and low water level across 12 Generation Companies (GenCos), Daily Trust reports.

Daily power generation statistics obtained by our reporter yesterday shows that the peak (highest) generation was 3,932mw on April 5, 2017 from which 87,244 megawatts hour (mwh) energy was sent out through the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) for supply to end users.

The industry data also showed that 77 turbines were available and could have produced 6,887mw if the dominant tripartite constraints of gas, line and water level were addressed. However, only 44 worked, producing 3,486mw off peak, while 33 turbines were shutdown.

A breakdown indicates that gas constraints accounted for 2,443mw of the power loss in 10 gas-based power stations. Geregu NIPP lost 290mw from two turbines; Olorunsogo’s three turbines could not generate 360mw, while Egbin Power’s three steam turbines lost out 495mw.

Delta Power’s seven turbines only produced 250mw and lost 210mw. Olorunsogo Gas lost 114mw from three idle turbines; and Omotosho Gas lost 152mw also due to three idle turbines.

The others are Alaoji NIPP which could not produce 360mw as the three turbines rested; Afam VI produced zero instead of 400mw because the three turbines were out; Ihovbor NIPP lost 112mw as one turbine was not utilised that day, and Omotosho NIPP had two turbines unutilised, causing a loss of 240mw.

Daily Trust also reports that water management affected power generation in the mid-week. Jebba Hydro lost 90mw as one turbine was unutilised due to low water level.

For transmission line constraint, Ibom Power was affected as one of its turbines did not produce, hence, losing 57.6mw.

Further analysis shows that among the 23 power plants that operated in the week, Kainji Hydro generated the highest output of 389mw. It was followed by Okpai Power in Delta State generating 363mw, and Jebba Hydro, 357mw. The lowest generating plant in the midweek was Sapele Steam which produced 55mw.

In summary, the three hydros and three steam plants generated 1,244mw; the gas-fired plants numbering 18, generated 2,688mw making a total of 3,932mw.

The industry data also showed that 77 turbines were available and could have produced 6,887mw but for the dominant tripartite constraints. Only 44 worked producing 3,486mw.

It was gathered that the installed capacity of the thermal (gas based) stations is 9,084mw on daily generation. However the gas plants only generated 2,443mw leaving a difference of 6,630mw as at Wednesday.